A former Butler County court employee who filed a federal lawsuit claiming discrimination because he was a man has accepted a $20,000 settlement.

Francis “Jack” Plaisted, 65, of Butler was the former supervisor of the tipstaves, officers of the court who assist judges over courtroom proceedings.

Plaisted was the only full-time tipstaff worker. He oversaw 13 part-time employees.

In the lawsuit filed in August of last year, he accused court administration of gender bias, a hostile work environment and wrongful termination.

Plaisted was asking for more than $75,000 in damages. Neither he nor his attorney, Neal Sanders, could not be reached for comment.

Candace Graff, county court administrator, said the settlement, which was reached Tuesday, resulted from mediation.

“In federal court, you’re obligated to try mediation,” Graff said.

Although the county was later added as a defendant, it was subsequently removed.

The court of common pleas of Butler County and the court administrator’s office were the other defendants.

Since both are part of the state judicial system, state-appointed attorneys defended the case and negotiated the eventual settlement.

According to the civil complaint, Plaisted and other male tipstaves were either given peripheral roles in or excluded from the jury selection process by female supervisors.

Those supervisors then allegedly gave prominent roles to female workers instead.

The lawsuit also claimed Plaisted was mistreated by a female supervisor, who criticized and belittled him.

After Plaisted returned from a medical leave in January 2013, he was not given back his duty as tipstaff scheduler — a job assumed by a female employee.

The lawsuit stated Plaisted was informed he was being laid off due to lack of work after he requested the scheduling duties be returned to him.

His post was eliminated, leaving only part-time tipstaves.

The complaint alleged numerous losses, including wages, pension benefits and insurance benefits as well as suffering humiliation.