A federal lawsuit between former Bradford Regional Airport director Tom Frungillo and airport officials has been settled and closed.
The wrongful termination suit brought by Frungillo against the airport authority in 2016 alleged that the Airport Authority had fired him in retaliation for health problems.
The suit was dismissed in 2018, but Frungillo won a motion for reconsideration and the lawsuit was reinstated.
According to the federal court docket system, a settlement conference was held May 18, and the notation said the matter was resolved.
On July 10, a stipulation of dismissal was entered into in federal court, ending the litigation. No information was given as to the settlement.
The lawsuit filed by Frungillo in Erie had alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act including discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate. In addition to the Bradford Regional Airport Operating, the Airport Authority and the Airport Advisory Board, the lawsuit was also filed against the counties of McKean, Cameron, Elk and Warren.
Frungillo, who was a resident of Florida when the lawsuit was filed, had been employed at the airport for 16 years and had answered to members of the authority and the board.
Toward the end of his employment at the airport, Frungillo began to suffer from disabilities, including health conditions related to his back as well as severe stress, the complaint had alleged.
He was still able to do his job, but would at times “need reasonable accommodations.”
In September 2014, Frungillo took a brief vacation and was scheduled to return to work. However, the complaint read, he requested additional time off “to care for and treat” his health conditions, and had “more than enough benefit time to cover his absences” during that time frame. On Sept. 17, 2014, Frungillo was terminated by the authority “without any warning or explanation and clearly in retaliation for requesting reasonable accommodations for his disabilities and/or because of his perceived disabilities,” the complaint read.
For his part, Frungillo sent an email to The Era, containing the following statement: “The Bradford Regional Airport Authority and I have resolved our disputes to a mutual satisfaction. During my 16 years of employment, I contributed significantly to the success of the Bradford Regional Airport.”
Cliff Lane, chairman of the Airport Authority, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
