Ex-airport security chief: O'Hare vulnerable

The fired chief of security for O'Hare International Airport complains in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the city of Chicago ignored his warnings about safety breaches and dismissed him for political reasons.

A spokeswoman for Chicago's Aviation Department declined to comment on the pending case.

James A. Maurer, a former Chicago police deputy superintendent, was appointed as managing deputy commissioner for safety and security at the city's department of aviation four years ago.

The lawsuit states that Maurer repeatedly tried to caution Department of Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino and department administrator Ellen O'Connor about safety weaknesses that he believed left O'Hare vulnerable to terrorist attacks but the two dismissed his warnings.

One specific example includes allowing unscreened, nongovernmental vehicles to park on the secure side of the airport inside perimeter fencing. Maurer claims he was "continually ignored ... and shunned in his efforts to make O'Hare Airport a safer facility."

Each airport is required to have a security plan in place approved by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and regular inspections are conducted to ensure compliance. The TSA employs a multilayered security approach to ensure the safety of the traveling public and the nation's transportation system, officials said.

Maurer also complains he was unfairly fired Sept. 11, 2009 after attending a training seminar he considered repetitive. When he gave his opinion about the seminar, O'Connor said he was rude. Subsequently, Maurer alleges, O'Connor falsified an allegation he assaulted her during their conservation and was fired the same day.

"If he was such a bum, why did the mayor appoint him four years ago?" Maurer's attorney Keith Hunt asked. The city was more concerned about getting the airport modernized in time for the 2016 Olympics than with safety, Hunt added.

The lawsuit seeks damages of more than $1 million plus reinstatement with back pay.