Supervisors OK Settlement Terms

Los Angeles County’s former top medical officer, fired last summer in the wake of a scandal at a county clinic, has had that termination revoked and been allowed to resign from the county under a settlement approved by the Board of Supervisors this week.

Donald C. Thomas, the onetime associate director of the Department of Health Services, won the settlement after he appealed his termination to the county Civil Service Commission and his attorney accused the county of firing him because he is black.

Thomas’ attorney, Godffrey Isaacs, said he could not disclose terms of the settlement, other than that Thomas was allowed to resign from the county as of last August, when he left his post. “He’s doing wonderfully,” Isaacs said. As to the discrimination allegations, Isaacs said, “we entered into a settlement where the termination was rescinded, and the interpretation of that I’ll leave to your fertile imagination.”

Supervisors approved the settlement in executive session Tuesday. Supervisor Gloria Molina’s was the sole vote against it.

Thomas was pushed from his county job after a for-profit chain of five health clinics in South and Central Los Angeles declared bankruptcy and abruptly closed.