Suit alleges Lake County firings were political

Three former Lake County circuit clerk's office workers filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Circuit Clerk Erin Cartwright Weinstein and her chief deputy, alleging they were abruptly fired last year for supporting another candidate in the 2016 election. The suit states longtime employees Michelle "Micki" Higgins, Tiffany Deram and Joshua Smothers were suspended within an hour of Weinstein's taking her oath of office Dec. 1 and were officially terminated the next day.

The firings were retaliation for the three workers' publicly backing their previous boss, former Circuit Clerk Keith Brin, in last year's election, the lawsuit claims. Weinstein, a Democrat from Gurnee, defeated the Republican incumbent after a spirited campaign in which she accused him of dragging down employee morale and overspending.

The lawsuit claims Weinstein "made no secret" during her campaign that, if elected, she would fire Higgins, Deram and Smothers because they backed Brin. A campaign website affiliated with Weinstein posted photos of the plaintiffs planting Brin campaign signs and falsely suggested it occurred during their work hours, according to the federal complaint.

"The manner in which defendants handled the suspensions and terminations was deliberate, abrupt, and intended to humiliate plaintiffs," the suit states.

Weinstein said Monday she was reviewing the lawsuit but disputed its general claims.

"We're very sorry to hear about the filing," she said. "Obviously we don't believe politics should be a part of any county office."

The suit also links the firings to the arrests of circuit clerk's office employees charged last year with altering court records of people they knew for personal benefit. The changes were discovered by Deram during an internal audit, the suit states.

"Plaintiff Deram was retaliated against in violation of rights guaranteed to her by the Illinois Whistleblower Act," the suit alleges.

Besides Weinstein, the suit names Chief Deputy Clerk Donna Hamm and Lake County as defendants. It seeks several remedies for the three former workers, including back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and a declaration the defendants violated the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights.