Richmond pays $549K to settle lawsuit with former FOIA officer after 2-year legal battle

Editor's Note: The story has been updated to include new information.

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Following a two-year legal battle, Richmond officials have agreed to pay $549,000 to settle a lawsuit with a former city employee alleging wrongdoings in complying with the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Connie Clay, Richmond's former FOIA officer and public information manager, filed a lawsuit in March 2024, accusing the city of withholding information in public record requests and saying that she was "silenced" and eventually fired for reporting the violations.

The suit originally sought $250,000 and was filed against the city and Petula Burks, the city's director of the Office of Strategic Communications and Civic Engagement. The suit alleged that Burks instructed Clay to withhold information despite having no legal reasons to do so.

In April 2024, the city asked a judge to toss out the lawsuit and argued that it didn't have plausible facts to back "a legally cognizable claim of relief" against the defendants.

The trial was originally set for Sept. 23, 2025, but was rescheduled for June 2026 several days before, with the city slated to pay nearly half a million dollars if it loses.

Richmond's chief administrative officer, Odie Donald II, released a statement on Friday, April 10, announcing that a settlement had been agreed upon, given that "continued litigation is not in the best financial interest of the City or its residents."

The full statement can be viewed below:

"While the City has consistently maintained that the facts of this case did not meet the legal requirements necessary to qualify the Plaintiff as a whistleblower under Virginia law, continued litigation is not in the best financial interest of the City or its residents. As such, we have agreed to resolve the case through a negotiated settlement.

As part of the resolution, the City will make payment to the Plaintiff and will also pay a portion of attorneys' fees and costs. The settlement reflects a desire to resolve the matter in the best interest of Richmonders and in no way is an admission of wrongdoing."

8News reached out to the city about the settlement's funds and how much Richmond paid outside counsel during litigation. As of reporting, we have not yet heard back.