Judge dismisses former planning director's suit against county

A judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by fired McHenry County planning director SuzAnne Ehardt's to get her job back, saying it was not properly filed.

However, McHenry County Judge Maureen McIntyre gave Ehardt 30 days to fix the procedural errors in her suit and refile the case. Ehardt's attorney, Mark Gummerson, said he intended to do so.

Ehardt is suing over her June 2008 firing for what county officials deemed inappropriate behavior in front of a citizen panel working on the county's next long-range comprehensive plan. According to some at the meeting, Ehardt bullied and verbally attacked members of the commission, claims both she and members of the county's planning staff denied.

An arbitrator upheld the dismissal in November, finding that County Administrator Peter Austin acted within his authority when he fired Ehardt from the $100,000-a-year job she had held for a decade.

Ehardt's suit, filed last year, claims the arbitrator's decision was unlawful. However, McIntyre ruled Wednesday that the suit did not adequately state the basis for that claim.

The case, if refiled, is scheduled to return to court Aug. 5 for a pretrial status hearing.