Commissioners move to closed session after competing testimony in Owens termination dispute

At a hearing, commissioners voted to go into closed session under Iowa Code 21.5 after listening to competing testimony about whether Mister Owens reasonably mitigated lost wages following his separation from Kraft.

The issue reached commissioners after a respondent’s speaker argued that witness testimony and subsequent employment show Owens failed to mitigate his damages. In closing, one speaker said, “Mister Daniels’ testimony. Mister Owens simply chose not to pick up the phone after repeated attempts by his union and contact him to return to work, and mister Owens is in no position to contest mister Daniels’ account with his own self serving testimony.” That speaker recommended limiting any award to six weeks of lost wages, “which for mister Owens totals, $4,164.”

Mister Owens dispute…