Allen County Sheriff David Gladieux has promised to repay Allen County taxpayers the $55,000 paid to settle a federal lawsuit stemming from his behavior at a festival in 2019.
On Wednesday, Gladieux pledged to reimburse the county’s general fund. Last week, county council members voted to pay the settlement, but expressed frustration to be on the hook for Gladieux’s personal behavior.
The sheriff was sued earlier this year in federal court in his official capacity for shoving a teenage volunteer at last year’s Three Rivers Festival.
As he pushed the 15-year-old boy who confronted him about trying to enter a closed area, Gladieux identified himself as the sheriff.
After the vote earlier this month, Allen County Council President Joel Benz said the council felt Gladieux’s actions were “repugnant” and asked Gladieux to meet with the council to come up with a repayment plan.
In his written statement, Gladieux said he understood the council's frustration, and said he bore the responsibility for the incident "regardless of the facts."
"We need, as a community, to put this incident to rest. I accepted responsibility in both legal matters and with re-payment of the settlement, seek to have us – all of us – focus on the critical work of the Sheriff’s Department and our community for a safer, more inclusive and prosperous Allen County," Gladieux wrote.
