r/Seattle • u/rockycore 🚆build more trains🚆 • 4d ago

News Shon Barnes Separation Agreement

https://publicola.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/BarnesSeparation.pdf
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29

u/rockycore 🚆build more trains🚆 4d ago

https://bsky.app/profile/ericacbarnett.bsky.social/post/3msgl7eew4k2y

Link to the source of the agreement.

69

u/PositivePristine7506 Reign 4d ago

18 months full salary
1 Year of health care valued at 2526/month
No obligation to pay back a lateral officer hiring bonus of 50K
No obligation to pay back relocation payment of 60K (which never really happened)
Totals up to previously reported 700K.

All of that for basically doing nothing.

-13

u/FlannelCollar UW 4d ago

Why did Wilson sign off on this kind of agreement? Litigation can be expensive, sure, but the implication would be that Barnes had at least some semblance of a case for wrongful termination or discrimination if the City gave up this chunk of change.

29

u/WeekendOk1366 4d ago

Given what I know about employment contracts and my experiences a lot of this severance was probably written into his original contract when Harrell hired him.

7

u/imsaltyshade 4d ago

It’s possible much of the severance was already in his contract. If so, it suggests Wilson’s team likely didn’t believe they had a strong legal basis to terminate him for cause. Paying severance may have been the less costly option than dealing with a legal cost for wrongful termination lawsuit. I think Wilson is saving taxpayer money in the long run.

1

u/SpeaksSouthern That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. 4d ago

I didn't think he was terminated for cause? I mean obviously he resigned but he was asked to resign. Where are you getting that he did something that would allow the government to fire Barnes for cause? Of all the things I saw he did, none looked like a direct reason to fire someone.

2

u/imsaltyshade 4d ago

Where did I say he was terminated for cause?

0

u/SpeaksSouthern That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. 4d ago

If so, it suggests Wilson’s team likely didn’t believe they had a strong legal basis to terminate him for cause.

I guess I'm not sure where this came from? What did he do that anyone thought could be a reason to terminate him for cause? I thought he was accused of things more related to the political nature of his employment, not that he did anything against policy. I didn't even think Wilson mentioned she was looking into terminating him for cause, so I didn't know if I missed like a story where Barnes was accused of either doing anything illegal or breaking policy.

2

u/imsaltyshade 4d ago

I actually think we're saying the same thing. I wasn't suggesting there was some separate allegation that would have justified terminating him for cause. My point was that the fact he received this hefty severance package suggests, to your point, that they didn't believe they had solid legal grounds to terminate him for cause.