The city of Vicksburg and Refined South Restaurant Group have reached an agreement resolving the federal lawsuit filed by the company in Jackson and a suit filed by the city in Warren County Chancery Court.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said the Board of Mayor and Aldermen are expected to approve the agreement Monday, and that the agreement will be discussed in an executive session because of its confidential nature.

The parties announced the agreement in a joint statement Friday afternoon.

“To avoid the expense, burden and uncertainty associated with litigation and in order to resolve litigation and avoid any future misunderstandings, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement,” the announcement read.

“The settling parties agreed not to make any additional comments about the terms of the settlement. Both parties continue to specifically deny any allegation of liability or wrongdoing by any of their officers, employees or customers.”

Flaggs declined to comment further on the announcement except to commend business owner Jay Parmegiani, City Attorney Kim Nailor, Police Chief Penny Jones and Ken Rector, Parmegiani’s attorney, for their work in developing the agreement.

The events leading to the agreement began in the early morning of April 17, when Vicksburg police officers responding to the fight at Jacques’ arrived to find a woman with a cut over her left eye and another woman with cuts, a wound in the center of her forehead and bruises. Both women were taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Citing the city’s emergency order, Police Chief Penny Jones closed the business pending a meeting with her, Flaggs, Parmegiani and his attorney.

Rector filed a lawsuit against the city and Flaggs on April 20 in U.S. District Court in Jackson on behalf of Refined South Restaurant Group LLC, Jay Parmegiani and Kara Parmegiani, claiming that, in closing the bar on three separate occasions since June 2020, the city deprived plaintiffs of their property without the due process to which it is entitled pursuant to the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

On April 22, the city filed a petition in Warren County Chancery Court seeking a temporary restraining order followed by “preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and to abate a public nuisance.” Jean-Jacques Parmegiani, Kara Parmegiani, Refined South Restaurant Group LLC and “John Does 1-3” were named as defendants.

The suit contained more than 200 pages of exhibits.

Chancellor Vicki Roach Barnes recused herself from the case, which was reassigned to Chancellor Debra M. Giles of Sunflower County.