Denver taxpayers fork out $60,000 for misconduct of city attorneys who called themselves "Kimberly Killers"; CBS News Colorado investigation revealed "appalling" behavior
Three assistant Denver city attorneys nicknamed themselves the "Kimberly Killers" for their secret antics in disparaging a co-worker named Kimberly Palmer. They were tasked with mentoring their colleague, but instead sent each other messages celebrating Palmer apparently suffering a "nervous breakdown," which were revealed in a March 2022 CBS News Colorado investigation.
Now their conduct has cost the city $60,000 in an out-of-court settlement. While Denver City Council has to sign off on many liability claims over $5,000, council members were not aware of this June settlement and it was not made public until now, as it was paid from the city attorneys' personnel budget.
One source within the City Attorney's Office said this is a common and preferred practice when city agencies settle employment disputes.
According to a settlement agreement obtained by CBS News Colorado, the City Attorney's Office and Palmer reached the agreement in June and Palmer agreed to drop any potential legal action in exchange for the payment.
Both Palmer's attorneys and the City Attorneys Office declined to answer questions, but released a joint statement saying, "The Denver City Attorney's Office and Kimberly Palmer reached a settlement on June 22, 2022. ... Both parties believe the settlement reflects a fair resolution of Ms. Palmer's claims and will help bring closure to a painful issue. The City Attorney's Office is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace in which all employees treat one another with respect and dignity, and regrets this was not Ms. Palmer's experience."
According to the earlier CBS News Colorado investigation, three assistant city attorneys -- Eric Reece, Kristina Bush and Emily Reisdorph -- used city communication systems to belittle Palmer, who is Black and worked in the office from late 2019 through early 2020.
Internal communications obtained by CBS News Colorado showed the three assistant city attorneys celebrating when Palmer suffered an apparent "nervous breakdown," forcing her to leave the office. Bush wrote that she was "satisfied. That's the best news I've heard since quarantine. I feel so satisfied by this. I've been humming all morning. We sent her into a nervous breakdown. It was a team effort." She then sent a gif displaying patting herself on the back, according to disciplinary records.
Reisdorph messaged Bush, "Yeah, you can't take credit for that all on your own. We pushed her too far... we sent her into a nervous breakdown."
Reece wrote, "Kristi, you caused her to have a nervous breakdown. We have a new champion."
In a statement to CBS News Colorado during its investigation, the City Attorney's Office said, "The CAO deeply regrets the harm caused to Kimberly by the attorneys who should have been helping her succeed. As soon as it became aware of the appalling and offensive behavior of those attorneys, the CAO acted swiftly and decisively, consistent with its responsibilities as an employer."
Palmer was unaware of the online discussions until CBS News Colorado obtained and reported on the internal communications. Reece and Bush resigned their positions in September 2020 during a personnel investigation. Reisdorph received a 15 day unpaid suspension but retained her job. Palmer later left Colorado and resumed her career in Texas.
