Settlement ends deputy job lawsuit over stature

SAGINAW (AP) -- A Michigan county has agreed to settle a lawsuit by a woman who said her relatively small size hurt her chances at getting full-time work as a sheriff's deputy. The settlement with Destinee Bryce, who is 4 foot 7 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds, was reached this week following several days of testimony in the case, The Saginaw News reported. Terms of the agreement weren't released. Bryce was hired as a part-time deputy in 2010 and about a year later was considered for a full-time job. She said the lawsuit, which alleged she was discriminated against based on her gender and height, was "not about money, it was about justice." Bryce said she wanted to ensure "that this doesn't happen to other short-statured females." Saginaw County Controller Robert Belleman said the county's decision to settle the case isn't an admission of wrongdoing. "As with most employment practice claims, you assume a risk," Belleman said. "We wanted to mitigate that risk with the settlement. We don't believe the county did wrong." Bryce said in the case that she faced $1.3 million in lost wages, according to her lawyer Victor Mastromarco Jr. Both sides earlier turned down a $100,000 settlement figure, he said, but the county early last week made another offer as the case headed to trial. Bryce now works as a full-time officer in the Osceola County community of Reed City. She says her size doesn't affect her job performance. Published: Fri, Feb 21, 2014