Lee County Thursday lost a federal lawsuit filed by three former employees who claimed they were wrongfully terminated for blowing the whistle on the county's Economic Development Office over the way it handled a grant for VR Labs.
VR Labs never made good on the promise to turn the county's $5 million dollar investment into more than 200 local jobs.
The $1.2 million dollar verdict against Lee County is a victory for former staffers Eileen Schuman, John Brock and Susan Noe.
In a statement released Thursday, County Attorney Richard Wesch said Lee County would evaluate all options including a possible appeal.
"While we certainly respect the jury process, the County respectfully disagrees with the jury's verdict. The County had legitimate, lawful business reasons for its decisions involving these plaintiffs."
