East Providence settles lawsuit brought by former city manager Kirby

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The city of East Providence has reached a legal settlement with former city manager Richard Kirby, Target 12 has confirmed, but the terms of the deal remain under wraps for now.

The East Providence City Council fired Kirby in 2016 , less than a year after he was appointed, at a time of political tumult in the city. Kirby had alleged ethical violations against then-Councilor Thomas Rose, while also facing criticism for his own handling of an internal complaint.

Kirby filed suit in R.I. Superior Court in 2019 against the city as well as Rose, former City Councilor Tracy Ann Capobianco and former city official Timothy Chapman, court records show.

The East Providence City Council met in executive session Tuesday night for a “status update” on Kirby’s suit.

“The case has been settled but we are not at liberty to discuss additional details until all of the final settlement documents are executed,” city spokesperson Patricia Resende told 12 News. “Once everything is finalized, the settlement will be made public.”

Kirby is now executive director of employee and labor relations at the R.I. Public Transit Authority. His attorney, Max Wistow, directed questions about the settlement to the city.

Ted Nesi ( tnesi@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi’s Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter , Threads and Facebook .

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