The city of West Hollywood agreed last week to pay former deputy Ian Owens and his attorneys $500,000 to settle his lawsuit against the city and his former boss, Councilman John Duran.

John Duran

Owens filed a lawsuit last May alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and defamation. The agreement states that it should not “in any way be construed as an admission” by the city or Duran, “or any admission of any unlawful acts or other liability whatsoever…”

Part of the settlement includes that all parties agreed to say, “The lawsuit filed by Ian Owens against the city of West Hollywood and Councilmember John Duran has been resolved.” Thus, Duran and Owens declined to comment.

“Mr. Owens has received a significant number of press inquiries relating to the settlement,” said Owen’s attorney, Aanand Ghods-Mehtani, in an email. “At this point, Mr. Owens is looking to move on with his life. With regard to assertions that there was no wrongdoing on the part of the defendants in this case, we obviously disagree, and we believe the settlement speaks for itself. It simply makes little sense for any defendant to pay half a million dollars to settle legal claims that do not have merit.”

City Attorney Mike Jenkins explained that the city’s insurance organization played a significant role in the decision to settle.

Also as a part of the agreement, Owens and his attorneys will return all copies of Duran’s email contact information.

Owens was put on administrative leave in January 2015 after he allegedly eavesdropped on Councilman John Heilman’s deputy Fran Solomon and accused her of working on Heilman’s reelection campaign on city time. Owens claimed he informed Duran and City Manager Paul Arevalo several times of Solomon’s alleged wrongdoing and was ignored.

After he was suspended pending an investigation, Owens alleged sexual harassment by his boss, Duran. Owens claimed he refused repeated sexual advances from Duran “well over” 100 times during his employment since 2012.

Duran and Owens initially met in 2012 using a dating phone app. After a brief relationship, Duran hired Owens as his council deputy.

“Mr. Owens never accused me of sexual harassment until he was caught and walked out of city hall for his wrongdoing,” Duran said in a statement last year. “This sexual harassment claim against me is meant to deflect attention away from his own misconduct at city hall.”

Owens waives any claims he has to rights or benefits as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the Association of Council Deputies (ACD). Owens also forfeits any claims to his former position and agrees he will not seek any future employment or business relationship with the city.

A court date has not been set yet for the case ACD has against the city for dissolving the council deputy system earlier this year.