Ludingtonesque

[shinblind]

From the Facebook page of Real Manistee 

NEWS FLASH – JACK GARBER, FORMER DPW DIRECTOR, FILES LAWSUIT IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT ON MAY 2 AGAINST CITY OF MANISTEE & CITY OFFICIALS….Nearly 18 months after an embezzlement case against former City of Manistee DPW director John “Jack” Garber was dismissed, Garber filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan against the City of Manistee, several city officials and Mason County prosecutor Paul Spaniola, who was assigned by the Michigan attorney general to prosecute Garber on embezzlement charges.

City officials named in the lawsuit are former city manager Mitchell Deisch, police chief David Bachman, Chief Financial Officer Edward Bradford and current Department of Public Works director Jeffrey Mikula. The lawsuit states that Bachman, under direction from Deisch and Mikula, told Garber that he would be arrested for embezzlement and that he should retire or risk losing his pension. Garber worked with the city’s Parks Department and Department of Public works for more than 43 years; serving as the director of DPW for 15 years. He retired in April 2013.

Each of the seven counts listed in the lawsuit asks for an award in excess of $75,000 for emotional distress or reasonable costs and attorney fees. Attorney Mark Quinn of Manistee is working with attorney Jim Akhtar, of Onsted, on the case. “The actions of the defendants are unconscionable in a civilized society,” said Quinn in the press release. “Jack looks forward to having his day in court, to prove that the actions of the defendants were done for political and malicious reasons.” Source: Manistee News Advocate on-line edition, May 6, 2016

I am too cheap frugal to pay the Manistee paper $2.50 to see if this is accurate seeing as it is a current issue that cost around $1.00. 

Doesn't this sound  familiar like something that could happen in Ludington.

[XLFD]

We covered the earlier 'clearing' of Garber back in November 2014 Manistee's Jack Garber Cleared of Wrongdoing. Questions Remain for ...

This does seem Ludingtonesque, in fact it played out in Ludington back in 2007-2008 in the Jack Byers lawsuit which the city paid $250,000 to settle a whistleblower OMA lawsuit by the former Building Inspector they fired.  Shortly after that, I resigned in disgust from the Ludington Fire Department, started blowing the whistle on the city's and county's unethical activities, the city retaliated by restricting me from two public places, defaming me, and I won my own $15,000 settlement. 

It's kind of sad when a newspaper comes forth with such a big story and can't even figure out how to spell discrimination in its subtitle.  Also it seems weird that the main crux of a privileged white male's lawsuit is discrimination in the first place.  I'm hoping to get this lawsuit posted at some point because you can never seem to get an accurate story from these established news venues.