Lawsuit charges layoffs based on political support in Avon Township Assessor's Office
A lawsuit has been filed in federal court claiming Avon Township Assessor Christopher Ditton discriminated against a former employee for political reasons.
The suit filed Thursday on behalf of former Deputy Assessor Maureen McCarragher charges Ditton hired two political supporters when there was no open positions in the budget to do so. The suit claims Ditton kept two less experienced people on staff despite being warned by the township there wasn't enough money to pay for all the employees for the entire year.
McCarragher worked in the assessor's office from Jan. 4, 2010 to Sept. 19, 2014, and was laid off or fired by Ditton on Sept. 25, according to the suit. The assessor's office in the Avon Township center in Round Lake Park has been closed since, with Ditton the sole employee on the payroll. He said he has been working remotely on pending property assessment appeals, although he occasionally stops in the office. Visitors are referred to the county assessor's office in Waukegan or to an office cellphone.
The names of several elected officials surface in the suit that seeks to have McCarragher reinstated with: full salary and benefits; lost past and future wages and benefits; and, unstated compensatory and punitive damages.
"Politically it's the Wild West in Avon Township," said Keith Hunt, McCarragher's attorney.
Ditton on Friday said he had not been officially served but had reviewed the suit. He cited what he described as inaccuracies regarding the hiring of Richard Watts and the hiring process in general.
"I acted to preserve the integrity of the assessment process in Avon Township," Ditton said.
According to the suit, Ditton hired Cynthia Brust and Watts because they supported his candidacies. McCarragher is more experienced than either, the suit alleges. But despite a lack of sufficient funding, Ditton refused to remove them based on "political considerations and the fact that they supported Ditton politically," the suit states.
By doing that, he discriminated and retaliated against McCarragher and others who did not politically support him by diverting funds appropriated for their positions to pay supporters' salaries, according to the suit.
Ditton was elected as a township trustee in 2009. He was appointed in late 2011 to complete the term of Bryce Carus and was elected to the post in April 2013.
Ditton also has a federal suit pending against township Supervisor Lisa Rusch and township trustees alleging budget changes were made as political retribution.