The state's judicial branch paid a former Butler County probation officer $200,000 as part of a settlement ending a federal lawsuit against the Butler County Common Pleas Court and its head judge.

Crystal Starnes sued the county court, President Judge Thomas Doerr and others in 2017 for alleged harassment and discrimination following a romantic relationship between Starnes and Doerr.

Starnes was an employee with the court from Aug. 22, 2005, until June 15, 2019. The suit was settled in January and, on March 24, the Judicial Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts agreed to pay Starnes $200,000 to end the matter.

The payment will be made in installments, with the first $125,000 being paid by the administrative office directly to Starnes with a check. The second installment calls for the administrative office to pay $75,000 to Starnes' lawyers with the law firm Olds George Law, which is based in Pittsburgh.

The money is drawn from the Commonwealth Insurance Fund.

The agreement was signed by Starnes as well as co-defendants Doerr, retired court administrator Tom Holman and one other person whose identity was hidden due to several redacted lines in the publicly released settlement.

The administrative office also agreed to pay for all fees connected to a mediation that was held Jan. 26. As part of the settlement, Doerr and Holman were dismissed from the suit.

The March 24 signing of the settlement ends a multi-year judicial conflict that began with Starnes' wide-ranging lawsuit, in which she claimed that Doerr initiated a five-year, unwelcome sexual relationship, calling it a “business relationship,” and that she was subsequently the target of workplace harassment and retaliation at the hands of other courthouse employees because of that relationship.

The settlement also binds both parties to several other agreements.

For Starnes, she agreed that she isn't owed further compensation through vacation, bonus, severance or any other kind of pay. She also agreed to release any future claims against the court system specifically related to discrimination. And she promised not to sue the court again. In turn, the court agreed not to pursue any future claims against Starnes.

Under the agreement, Starnes must delete and dispose of any emails or information that she has related to probation cases, custody matters and domestic relations. She also promised to never try to apply for a job with the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. If she tries to apply, the court is under no obligation to consider her as an eligible candidate.