State to Pay Former ITD Head in Settlement

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The state of Idaho will pay the former head of the Idaho Transportation Department $750,000 to settle her wrongful termination lawsuit against the agency. Pamela Lowe was the state's first and only female transportation chief when she was fired by the Transportation Board in 2009, a little more than two years after being appointed to the post by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. Lowe sued, contending that she suffered gender discrimination and that she was fired because she refused to modify department decisions to benefit companies that donated to the governor. The settlement terms were released Wednesday. The state didn't admit any liability, but agreed to pay Lowe's attorney fees, and to pay her more than $5,000 a month for ten years, starting in the fall of 2013.