Filed on Monday in US District Court, the wrongful termination lawsuit alleges that former City Administrator Natasha Henderson was sacked for shining a light on the issue, and that the decision was a violation of the Whistleblower Protection Act as well as free speech protections. “My client was brought in to help the City of Flint”.
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The defendants were not readily available for comment. Safe Water/Safe Homes is an official donation fund that provides clean water to victims in Flint. Under Weaver’s directions, according to the complaint, the funds would instead go to the mayor’s own political action committee, Karenabout Flint. After Henderson asked Anthony Chubb, the city’s interim chief legal counsel, to launch an investigation, she says she was hauled into the mayor’s office and “unilaterally terminated”. The lawyer had written to her through email that he would advise her later that day, but he never followed up. According to the lawsuit, Murray came to Henderson “in tears” and in fear of “going to jail”.
Henderson asserts that three days after this exchange, she was called into Weaver’s office and fired, told that the state could no longer fund her salary. She reported the matter to the city attorney.
“She was blown away, she was recruited by city of Flint to help save and help resolve the issues”, said attorney Katherine Smith Kennedy. “Her goal was to ensure the integrity of the city at a time when its reputation has taken many blows”. “Ms. Henderson was key in securing the funds needed to make the switch from the Flint River back to the DWDS water system and received much praise from the city council for doing so”.
Miss Henderson filed a lawsuit in Detroit US District Court on Monday May 9.
The lawsuit-filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of MI in Flint-claims that Henderson’s rights under the Whistleblowers Protection Act and the First Amendment were violated. Weaver fired her without permission of the city council, and in an open session the council rejected her dismissal unanimously.
The legislative committee looking into the Flint water crisis wrapped up hearings Tuesday without hearing from Governor Rick Snyder, his senior aides, or former emergency managers who were in charge of the city at the outset of the debacle.
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Henderson’s firing, the lawsuit claims, damaged her “economically, injured her reputation, subjected her to public humiliation, damaged her personal relationships … and caused her significant mental and emotional distress”.
