An ex-employee of the city of Marco Island has sued the municipality for wrongful termination. In his court documents, the man claims that he was wrongfully terminated because he exercised his right to freedom of speech.
The ex-employee was an environmental specialist who worked for the city of Marco Island from October 2015 until his termination earlier this year. The man says that he was terminated after he reported environmental protection law violations to federal and Florida state authorities. According to court documents, he initially reported the existence of false environmental reports pertaining to wetlands and mangroves to his direct supervisors in May 2017, but city officials didn’t take action. He then reported the problem to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
After he reported the violations, the ex-employee says that he received a written disciplinary action and threats that he would lose his job. Later, in November 2017, he was given a poor performance review, but the previous year’s review had been positive. In fact, it was glowing. His supervisor had requested that the man be promoted to a full-time employee at a mid-tier level with a pay grade of 16, saying that he had exemplary performance and a positive attitude, among other compliments.
As relief, the former employee is asking for the city to stop retaliating against employees who exercise their right to free speech, compensatory damages, back pay with interest, front pay and reimbursement of expenses, attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.
The city of Marco Island has yet to offer any comment regarding the matter.
Employees who have been wrongfully terminated in Florida may have the ability to pursue financial justice in court. If you recently lost your job under questionable circumstances, visit our website now to learn more about your legal rights and options.
