A U.S. District Court this month agreed with the City of Warren in the suit filed by its former assistant city planner, Ken Bouchard. In the October 2014 suit, Bouchard alleged that he faced “constant verbal abuse, removal of job responsibilities, unjustified scrutiny of his performance, and unjustified discipline,” all of which forced him to pursue medical leave.
Bouchard said he was “constructively discharged” from his job in August 2014. He had sought at least $620,000 for future lost pay, damages and lawyer fees. On Sept. 06, “we won a potential million-dollar-plus federal lawsuit against Warren by an employee who sued the city…,” Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said.
Bouchard is contemplating an appeal. “When he sees that the administration is taking action that is not consistent with the best interests of the citizens, he feels compelled to stand up and try to put a stop to it,” said Bouchard’s attorney Jennifer Lord. “A lot of people would look away and just go along. That’s not who he is, and he paid a very high price for that.”