FNN Article © Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Image provided by Lonny Frost © 2016.
WILLIAMSPORT, PA — It was made official that on Monday, March 30, 2026, U.S. Middle District Magistrate Judge Martin Carlson affirmed the jury’s verdict on a lawsuit case against Blossburg Borough by former Blossburg Police Corporal Robert Scott Jr., after he was fired back in 2021. However, the federal judge did slightly lower the award to Scott who was illegally fired due to a mental health disability.
Scott was a Blossburg Borough police officer from 2004 until June 2021. Issues between Blossburg Borough Council and Corporal Robert Scott started in late 2020. Back on Tuesday, June 9, 2021, Blossburg Borough Council unanimously voted to terminate the employment of Corporal Robert Scott, during the borough council meeting.
The borough council stated that Corporal Scott was fired due to conduct unbecoming of an officer and insubordination.
Scott claimed that he was terminated from the police force in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Scott would file a lawsuit against Blossburg Borough, Mayor Shane Nickerson, Blossburg Police Chief Joshua McCurdy and Patrick Barrett III, the borough’s solicitor, shortly after he was terminated from the job he loved. Four years later a trial was held in early April of 2025, Scott would end up winning the case and a sizable monetary award.
According to court records, the jury ruled in Scott’s favor and he was awarded $425,000 in compensatory damages, $228,000 in front pay, as well as $16,000 in back pay. However, Blossburg Borough was very upset over the $699,000 award that was granted to Scott and they immediately filed an appeal over the decision. Once again everything went back into court to be reexamined.
Since then a year has passed since the jury’s original verdict was handed down. Overall it has been five years since Scott was fired from a job he enjoyed. Finally the appeal case came to a conclusion on Monday, March 30, 2026.
U.S. Middle District Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson wrote Monday, March 30, 2026, none of the defendants’ arguments justified setting aside the verdict (outcome) in favor of Robert Scott Jr.
Judge Carlson, however, did reduce the jury’s award from the original $669,000 down to $668,225. The back pay was reduced down to $15,749 and for front pay was reduced down to $227,476, in compliance with evidence presented at the trial.
It was noted that jurors found Scott had proven by the preponderance of evidence he had a disability and it was a motivating factor in decisions to place him on leave, suspend and terminate him.
The jury had also found Mayor Shane Nickerson, Police Chief Josh McCurdy and solicitor Patrick Barrett III were personally involved in the termination decision.
Also Scott acknowledged that he threatened self-harm after his wife in October 2020 threatened to leave him but he sought and completed a program of care and he was cleared by three medical professionals to return to work.
Borough officials refused to reinstate Robert Scott Jr., and they claimed Scott was terminated due to past insubordination unrelated to the mental issue Scott was dealt with.
However, Carlson did cite the borough telling the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a letter that Scott had mental health issues unrelated to his position as a police officer.
The letter even stated “such disability precludes him from performing his essential functions” as a police officer and despite his treatment he did not have the stability to serve in law enforcement in the borough.
The trial record is replete with evidence indicating the defendants harbored persistent and profound concerns regarding Scott’s mental state even after three doctors cleared him to return to his duties, Carlson found.
“They plainly regarded him as emotionally disabled and the decision to fire Scott seemed to flow in large measure from this misperception,” Judge Carlson wrote.
It is unknown how quickly the settlement of $668,225 will be provided to Scott.
Older Court Record Link relating to this case – https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/pennsylvania/pamdce/4:2021cv01985/131546/139/ .
