Mäntyharju agrees settlement worth 75,000 euros with former director

Mäntyharju has agreed to a settlement under which it will pay former education director Sari Aarniokoski about 75,000 euros gross, Yle reported. The municipality’s executive board approved the agreement unanimously on Monday.

The sum is equivalent to 10 months’ salary. Both parties will pay their own legal costs and have agreed not to make negative statements about each other or criticise the settlement.

The board authorised municipal manager Juho Järvenpää to prepare and sign the agreement on the municipality’s behalf.

Mäntyharju’s municipal council abolished the education director’s post in September 2025, citing production and financial reasons. The municipality dismissed Aarniokoski at the end of that year because the post no longer existed.

Aarniokoski said the decision to abolish the post and her dismissal were driven by reasons related to her personally. She asked the Eastern Finland Administrative Court to overturn her dismissal.

In March, the executive board authorised Järvenpää to negotiate a settlement. He said the agreement would avoid costs caused by a prolonged dispute and reduce uncertainties related to the risks. Negotiations reached a point last week where Aarniokoski was ready to accept the main terms, he said.