MINOT, N.D. (AP) - The city attorney in Minot who was fired after only a month on the job says she was wrongfully dismissed and intends to sue the city.
Colleen Auer said she is filing wrongful termination complaints with the state Labor Department and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She has made formal requests to the city to preserve all documents related to her hiring, employment and firing.
“I’ve told them don’t destroy your stuff because I’m coming after you for this,” Auer told KXMC-TV (https://bit.ly/1ihIs85 ).
Auer was hired last month to replace the retired John Van Grinsven. She was fired Friday for what City Council President Jim Hatlelid called insubordination.
Auer, who moved to Minot from Scottsdale, Arizona, argues that she was fired in retaliation for a complaint she filed alleging harassment and a hostile work environment. The city investigated, and Mayor Curt Zimbelman last Thursday said Auer’s claim had been rejected.
Auer said her wrongful termination complaints are a precursor to a lawsuit against the city.
“What has occurred here is a violation of state and federal law in my opinion, and I am going to pursue it and I will fight what I believe is retaliatory and wrongful termination,” she said.
The city is not commenting on the pending complaints because of the possibility of litigation.
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Information from: KXMC-TV, https://www.kxnet.com
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