Hallstrom countersued Barker for age, weight and medical discrimination, wrongful termination and malicious prosecution ("Hallstrom v. Barker"). In October 2005, Hallstrom received a multimillion-dollar settlement. The settlement would have possibly been more, but early settlement agreements all contained a "hush clause" that forbade Hallstrom from saying anything disparaging about Barker to the media. However, Barker refused to agree to the mutuality clause of the settlement agreement, thereby retaining the right to speak freely against Hallstrom in the media. In order to retain her right to speak about the case, and to protect herself against what she called Barker's "shameful manipulation of the media", Hallstrom accepted a lesser financial amount but with a settlement that did not contain a hush clause. She has also started a foundation for individuals who have suffered wrongful or malicious conditions in the workplace and do not have the power or resources (financially or otherwise) to go up against powerful individuals or large corporations, despite having a valid, non-frivolous claim.