Denver settles poll‑worker First Amendment suit
Denver agreed to pay $65,000 to settle a lawsuit by Virginia Chau, a former part‑time polling‑center supervisor, who alleged she lost her supervisory role after speaking on a 2022 Jon Stewart streaming panel about threats to election workers and inadequate training. The settlement — confirmed by Chau’s lawyer David Lane and city election officials on Sept. 26, 2025 — included no admission of wrongdoing but highlights legal and policy questions about speech rights for government employees and poll‑worker safety.
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Elections worker who lost job after telling Jon Stewart about safety fears settles lawsuit
New information:
- Settlement amount: $65,000 paid by the City and County of Denver this week (reported Sept. 26, 2025)
- Plaintiff: Virginia Chau, former part‑time polling center supervisor who spoke on 'The Problem with Jon Stewart' in 2022 about threats to election workers
- City stance: Denver denied terminating Chau, said she was reassigned (which Chau viewed as a demotion); city confirmed settlement with no admission of wrongdoing