The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has dismissed the charge against Freeborn County made by the former supervisor of the Freeborn County Crime Victims Crisis Center.

According to a notice sent to Freeborn County dated March 23, the department adopted the disposition issued by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February in the case of Rose Olmsted.

Olmsted now has 45 days, if she chooses, to bring civil action in state district court.

Olmsted, who had worked for Freeborn County for 38 years, alleged she was terminated as a result of retaliation or age and gender bias.

She was among 11 county employees out of work during the 20-day state government shutdown last July. When the shutdown ended, she was the only worker the county didn’t rehire. She was ultimately terminated in October.

In her suit she alleged that the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners and her manager, Department of Human Services Director Brian Buhmann, used the state government shutdown as a ruse to terminate her employment with the county.

In addition to her supervisory position in the Crime Victims Crisis Center, Olmsted also oversaw the Domestic Abuse Prevention Program and spearheaded the Freeborn County Crisis Response Team. The Crisis Response Team is trained to support people affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, vehicle crashes and shootings, to name a few.

Now, neither the Crisis Response Team nor the Domestic Abuse Program are under the Freeborn County umbrella. There is preliminary discussion about whether to transfer the services of the Crime Victims Crisis Center to the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office.

Olmsted’s lawyer, Larry Schaefer, could not be reached for comment Friday.