Former Employee in Oregon City Intends to Sue Following Firing
A former Coquille city, Ore., employee has informed the city she plans to sue for whistleblower retaliation and a failure to provide due process during the course of her firing.
Former city recorder Jennifer Rose filed a notice with the city March 25 after her termination, The World reported. Rose was placed on paid leave in November.
Lawyer Talia Guerriero wrote in the notice that Rose alleges the city was negligent in failing to hire qualified individuals to process the City’s finances, took advantage of an employee willing to help try to keep the department functioning, and then targeted her as a scapegoat after she brought to light matters of financial mismanagement.
Former City Manager Sam Baugh, who was fired in December 2020, says he placed Rose on administrative leave after getting reports from a firm the city hired to look at the city finances that Rose was difficult to work with and had hindered their attempts.
“All the indicators we used pointed to her, and that’s why I put her on administrative leave,” Baugh told The World.
According to Rose’s claims, the problems started in 2020, when “several key finance employees left all at once and the department started to fall apart.”