The city of Colorado Springs has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by fired city employee Terri Velasquez for $250,000.

“The parties mutually agreed that a final settlement would be in the best interest of both parties allowing them to move forward along separate paths,” the city said Tuesday in a press release. “There was no admission of any wrongdoing or liability on the part of the City.”

The city refused to provide a copy of the settlement agreement with Velasquez, who alleged gender and age discrimination, among other allegations.

“The City Attorney’s Office is reviewing your request, and will determine whether CORA permits release of the agreement,” City Attorney Chris Melcher said in an email, referring to the Colorado Open Records Act.

“At this time, the preliminary determination is that the document is confidential, concerns a personnel matter, and may not be released under CORA. We will have a more detailed response tomorrow,” he said.

Terri Velasquez Photo by