As I predicted, the ICMA finally capitulated and settled the anti-defamation lawsuit brought forth by Michigan city manager James Freed. As part of the agreement where financial details were not releaed, the ICMA agreed to retract the censure by removing it from their website.  The settlement was announced via a joint statement on ICMA letterhead. However, I have received overwhelmingly negative responses from the city managers in my network regarding the language of that statement.  In this episode, I dissect the statement and compare it to the original press release issued by the ICMA when it announced the public censure of James Freed.  And now that this matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties -- we ponder the logical question that remains:  Now what? SHOW NOTES: James Freed posted the release on his personal LinkedIn page. You can read it here: ICMA Joint Statement Freed Email Statement and Court Filing Video of James Freed addressing ICMA issue ICMA Public Statements & Court Filing LinkedIn Post In Defense of the ICMA Code of Ethics by Jason Grant, Director of Advocacy Court Filing Additional Information about James Freed vs ICMA Main Reference Page SUBMIT JOB POSTING: Do you have an executive or senior level vacancy in your organization? Use this form/link to submit your job listing in my weekly newsletter for just $100: https://forms.gle/ceMzWqeLwiRFRAGj9 SUPPORT THE PODCAST: Subscribe to my FREE weekly report of city and county manager resignations, terminations, and retirements (RTRs) at this link: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/ If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link. Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms. Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today! Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.