SPOKANE - A former Grant County employee's federal lawsuit against Grant County and her former boss was dismissed.

Attorneys for Noelle Rutty and the county's insurance company agreed to dismiss civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. The civil suit alleged Grant County Youth Services Administrator Warren Swanson sexually harassed Rutty when she worked for the department as a legal secretary.

Rutty started working at the Grant County Juvenile Detention Center in 2005, and was promoted in 2007. After the promotion, Swanson reportedly started inquiring into her personal life, according to the complaint.

He allegedly started sending Rutty inappropriate sexual text messages roughly seven months after she was promoted, according to the complaint. She claims the messages were initially harmless, but they increased in frequency until he was sending them at all times of the day and night.

Michael McFarland, the attorney representing the county's insurance company, stated before any discovery was conducted, he gave Rutty's attorneys the text messages she sent to Swanson.

"Ms. Rutty's attorneys, who apparently had never seen the texts, contacted me within a week, offering to dismiss the case if Grant County and Mr. Swanson would not pursue a claim against Ms. Rutty for costs and fees incurred defending against the lawsuit," he stated.

Rutty's attorneys revised the order to stop the county from pursuing, "any other course of action arising prior to the date" of the dismissal, McFarland stated. The addition was opposed to the county collecting fees and costs in defending against the lawsuit.

"Ms. Rutty was clearly concerned about a malicious prosecution claim against her. Although I believe Ms. Rutty did maliciously institute this lawsuit against Mr. Swanson, Mr. Swanson made the decision to put this matter behind him as opposed to pursuing further litigation," McFarland stated.

Neither of Rutty's attorneys, Michael Love or Keith Douglass, were available for comment.