Aurora official sued over 'flies' e-mail

A popular Aurora restaurant is suing the city's assistant economic development director over an e-mail warning his colleagues to not eat there.

The lawsuit against Manuel "Manny" Maysonet was filed in Kane County Circuit Court this week by the owners of Walter Payton's Roundhouse, 205 N. Broadway, who are asking for more than $100,000 in damages.

Maysonet is accused of defaming the eatery in an Aug. 18, 2008, e-mail to hundreds of city employees who were warned of "several complaints" about flies in the food and urged to "stay away" until the health department could complete an inspection.

According to the lawsuit, the e-mail was sent after Maysonet ate lunch at the Roundhouse and claimed to discover a fly in his salad, but before he complained to health officials.

The restaurant says it replaced Maysonet's salad with a cheeseburger at his request, even though no one else could find the fly. The lawsuit said he "became further irritated" when he was charged for the cheeseburger and eventually was asked to leave.

Maysonet filed his complaint with the health department the day after the incident, according to the lawsuit, but the restaurant scored well on a resulting inspection. Health officials noted "minimal flies," which they said the eatery was addressing properly, records show.

Maysonet, who was reportedly suspended from his city job for five days as a result of the e-mail, did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment. He has said he didn't mean to cause the Roundhouse any trouble.

"I clearly meant it solely as an FYI to my colleagues," Maysonet told the Daily Herald last year. "The Roundhouse had a bad day with flies and I had a bad day with judgment."

America's Brewing Co., which owns the Roundhouse, claims Maysonet's e-mail "greatly injured" the restaurant's reputation in the community. The plaintiff's attorney, Christopher Goluba, declined to comment.

Fourth Ward Alderman Rick Lawrence told the mayor and his staff in an e-mail Thursday that the city "must be very careful" to avoid becoming entangled in the lawsuit, even though the city is not named as a party.

"Mr. Maysonet chose to engage in this slanderous behavior, not the city of Aurora; he alone needs to defend himself, not the taxpayers," he wrote. "Our attorneys should only monitor this issue in the event Mr. Maysonet drags us into this by his statements. But in no way advise him or spend any time on this case."

The matter goes to Judge Robert B. Spence on Oct. 29.