On the one-year anniversary of a lawsuit filed by the Cincinnati Insurance Company against the estate of former WTVP CEO Lesley Matuszak and ex-Director of Finance and Human Resources Linda McLaughlin, a Case Management Conference was held as scheduled on March 13, but no attorneys attended.

Instead, an agreed order came to light showing Peoria Judge Timothy Cusack has approved the insurer’s motion to drop McLaughlin from the lawsuit.

“It is hereby ordered that the plaintiff’s motion is granted and the defendant, Linda McLaughlin, is hereby voluntarily dismissed from this case. “The remaining claims in this case continue to pend,” Cusack declared.
Cincinnati Insurance sued to recover the $250,000 the company said it paid the public-TV station as part of its claim of financial losses between 2019 and 2023, spending that its former board described as “questionable, unauthorized, or improper.”

Matuszak committed suicide shortly after WTVP’s board questioned the spending. Peoria police later accused her of theft of WTVP funds and improperly taking station funds for personal use.

McLaughlin resigned the same week Matuszak died.

It’s unclear what will occur concerning Matuszak’s estate since no representation nor a response has been filed on its behalf.