Former 911 Dispatcher Settles Lawsuit for $262,500
/In the Media:
- Mlive: "Genesee County 911 operator who refused to quit moonlighting gig as a singer gets $262K settlement"
- Michigan Lawyers Weekly: "Woman claimed firing was due to singing gig"
Description of Case:
WHISTLEBLOWER AND PWDCRA SUIT AGAINST SETTLES FOR $262,500.00
Christa Plante was a good and loyal 911 Operator for the Genesee County 9-1-1 Consortium for approximately 16 years. In her spare time, she sang in a band. Such spare time employment was not forbidden, as many of the men 911 operators acted as “volunteer firemen” for many of the local governmental entities. However, when Christa Plante developed certain medical problems, Defendant Boss demanded that she quit singing, despite the fact that he was not a doctor and did not have any medical records to support his position that she should “quit singing” because it was interfering with her job as a 911 operator. Because she loved to sing, Christa Plante refused to quit singing.
Thereafter, Christa Plante’s car was seriously vandalized, damaged and her four tires flattened. She reported this to Genesee County Deputy Sheriff, and asked him to run a “LEIN check” on the person Christa Plante thought might be responsible for the hit-and-run damage to her car. Defendant Boss claimed that Christa Plante used the “LEIN machinery” for her own personal reasons, not related to law enforcement, which is a crime. Christa Plante vehemently denied that she requested that the Deputy Sheriff run the “LEIN check” solely for her own personal purposes. The Deputy Sheriff who ran the “LEIN check” was not disciplined or admonished in any way, shape or form.
Nevertheless, Defendant Supervisor fired Christa Plante from her 16 year job as a 911 Operator, despite her claim that she was both a Type I and Type II Whistleblower under the law. Defendant Supervisor insisted that Christa Plante misused the “LEIN machinery” for personal purposes, which is a crime he claimed justified terminating her employment. Christa Plante claimed that Defendant Boss was using this “You used the LEIN machinery for personal purposes” reason as a pretextual ruse to get back at Christa Plante because she refused to quit singing, as Defendant Boss had demanded.
Surprisingly, Defendant Boss responded to Christa Plante’s union grievance by stating that after he fired her, he actually offered Christa Plante her job back – despite the fact that his legal position was that she committed a crime. Christa Plante refused and filed this lawsuit to clear her name.
This case was facilitated using Judge James Rashid, who ended up settling the case for $262,500.
*For more than 30 years, veteran civil rights attorney Tom R. Pabst has been successfully representing people in Genesee County and surrounding areas. His vast experience has proven effective in protecting the rights of his clients, and thwarting the injustices they have been subjected to. Time and again, his track record has shown that Tom R. Pabst is one of the leading civil rights attorneys in the State of Michigan.
Case Information:
Type of Action: Whistleblower Protection Act, PWDCRA
Injuries Alleged: Loss of job, lost wages, mental anguish, emotional distress and outrage
Name of Case: Christa Plante v. Genesee County 9-1-1 Consortium Commission and Lloyd Fayling
Court: Genesee County Circuit Court
Case No: 13-100133-CZ
Tried Before: No
Name of Judge: Hon. Richard Yuille
Facilitation Settlement Amount: $262,500
Date of Verdict: Settled via facilitation in Feb. 2014, with Judge James Rashid
Last Offer to Settle: N/A
Most Helpful Experts: N/A
Key To Winning: Using Defendants’ own records and admissions to prove Plaintiff’s WPA and PWDCRA claims
Allocation of Fault: N/A
Insurance Carrier: N/A
Attorney for Plaintiff: Tom R. Pabst, Michael A. Kowalko and Jarrett M. Pabst
Attorney for Defendant: withheld