Report: Former Employee Sues City of Rockville

A former city of Rockville employee has filed a lawsuit against the city,  the third time in less than a year that an employee or former employee filed a suit against Rockville, The Gazette reports.

Charles Baker, former chief of inspection services, claims in the lawsuit that “intolerable work conditions” forced him into early medical retirement, The Gazette reports.

Earlier this year, current and a former city employee filed lawsuits against the city that claimed they plaintiffs were discriminated against because they were black, Patch reported earlier this year.

Citing court documents, the newspaper outlined Baker’s claims against his supervisor Susan Swift, director of Community Planning and Development Services, and former human resources manager Carlos Vargas and former city manager Scott Ullery for “taking a blind eye” to his complaints about Swift.

Baker retired in 2011. A city spokeswoman declined to talk to the newspaper about the lawsuit, citing the city’s policy not to discuss legal matters.

>>>See: “Former Rockville city employee sues for ‘intolerable’ work conditions” at Gazette.net.

A year ago, in an interview with The Montgomery County Sentinel, Baker alleged he was forced to make negative changes to another employee’s evaluation review and told the newspaper he was planning to sue the city of Rockville.

The Sentinel had written several stories outlining grievances of city workers who claimed they were being harassed by their supervisors.

Baker also filed a Public Information Act request requesting “any all documents” associated with the independent firm, Saul Ewing LLP, that the city paid to investigate former city employees’ claims of harassment and discrimination by supervisors, Patch reported in June 2012.

The city provided Baker with the contract but withheld information about the investigation, Patch reported. The city later revealed the findings of the investigation —which found there was no unlawful conduct, but made recommendations to improve communication and human resources practices, Patch reported in November 2012.

The full Saul Ewing report has never been made public.

>>> See: “Contract Offers Glimpse Into Probe of Former City Employees' Claims” at Rockville.Patch.com.