FORT KENT, Maine — A nurse who was quarantined in New Jersey upon her return to the U.S. from Africa, where she was treating patients diagnosed with the Ebola virus during a deadly outbreak in 2014, is close to settling a lawsuit against the state’s governor, according to a letter filed by her attorney.
Kaci Hickox sued New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and several state public health officials last October, claiming she was held illegally and unconstitutionally against her will as part of a mandatory quarantine for anyone returning from certain West African countries who treated patients with Ebola. The complaint also said Christie made false statements about Hickox’s health and implied she had symptoms of Ebola. Hickox has said Christie’s decision to quarantine her was based on fear, not science, and was politically motivated.
On June 1, an attorney representing Christie filed a letter notifying District Court Judge James Clark that they had reached a settlement “in principle” with Hickox. The attorneys requested “a couple weeks” to iron out the details of deal.
Hickox sought a minimum of $250,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, according to previous reports, along with legal fees and costs.
The County is pleased to feature content from our sister company, Bangor Daily News. To read the rest of “Nurse who sued Chris Christie over Ebola lockdown nears settlement,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer Nick McCrea, please follow this link to the BDN online.
