The settlement of Mike Ladd's lawsuit does little to dissipate the ugliness of his treatment.

First, the breaking news.

Former UEZ director claims New Albany administration tainted his reputation; Mike Ladd harbors discontent over Urban Enterprise Zone issue, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)

NEW ALBANY — The lawsuit brought by former New Albany Urban Enterprise Zone Executive Director Mike Ladd has been settled, but he still harbors discontent over how the matter was handled.

Ladd settled with the zone for an undisclosed sum June 16 in an agreement reached through a court appointed mediator. In January, Ladd filed a lawsuit asking for the pay out of the remainder of his contract, which his attorney said was $11,370.

Ladd was fired by the UEZ board at the request of the administration in March 2012. It’s not uncommon for city officials to be dismissed; however, Ladd took exception to a statement made by David Duggins, director of economic development and redevelopment for the city.

Next, the newspaper's handy chronology.

• Jan. 1, 2012: Jeff Gahan takes office as New Albany mayor
• March 2012: Urban Enterprise Zone board votes to fire Ladd
• October 2012: Complaint sent to city’s Ethics Commission
• September 2013: Ethics commission confirms it won’t hear past cases
• January 2014: Ladd files lawsuit against city seeking pay out of contract
• June 16, 2014: Sides agree to Settlement reached former UEZ director case

In January, I told you exactly what I think, and I'll repeat it today.

I'm not a lawyer. I only play one on the blog when Dr. Tom comes calling. But wouldn't it be nice if the city could bring itself to admit to the pre-meditated fiasco of Ladd's firing, pony up what the contract stipulated, and be done with it?

There wasn't any malfeasance, was there?

Has it occurred to anyone involved that implying malfeasance can make it hard for a man to find a job?

Irrespective of how the lawsuit plays out, the worst of it always will be that after fighting so hard to avoid the UEA's outright annexation by the Righteous Brothers (i.e., Doug England and Carl Malysz), it's exactly what happened.

It made me sick then, and it still does. Bad for the man, and bad for the city. All in all ... too bad.

For background at NAC:

Mike Ladd: 17 months to receive 2 weeks pay, and other shovel-ready Ethics Commission topics.

Tweeting the Urban Enterprise beheading, as it happened.

UEA decapitation: Different tactics, same desired outcome, and still just as wrong as before.

ON THE AVENUES: A decapitation, coming tomorrow.

I sincerely believe that Mike Ladd was wronged, and it makes me embarrassed to live in a place where such treatment is regarded as proper. Political culture in New Albany suffers from a learning disability.

Why is that, and can anything be done about it?