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Sherrie Le case enters summary argument phase

12/19/2007: Katy Zillmer: Sherrie Le case will conclude in January

Lillie Newspapers:
A state district court case filed by former Maplewood Human Resources Director Sherrie Le for wrongful dismissal against the city in September 2006 is scheduled to conclude in January 2008, with written closing arguments by both attorneys.

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Witnesses called by Le's attorney, Gregg Corwin, included former Deputy Police Chief John Banick, whose job was "not budgeted" for 2007 by the city after he completed a requested background check on Copeland; former Parks and Recreation Director Bruce Anderson, who resigned around the time it was announced his job was also not budgeted for this year; former City Manager Richard Fursman, who was fired by the council on a not-for-cause basis; former Assistant Finance Director Gayle Bauman, who resigned to take a job in St. Francis earlier this year and Council Member Will Rossbach.

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Le was fired in August of 2006 by Copeland, and filed her case in court to argue the city did so to retaliate against her for being a whistleblower and organizing a union for the city's managers. During the process of Le being the petitioner on behalf of employees who wanted to unionize, the Bureau of Mediation Services issued a maintenance of status quo order. In her case against the city, she argued that the city violated the status quo order by firing her.

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Corwin and Le's allegations that the city violated the state Whistleblower Act stem from retaliation allegedly caused by her responsibility, as human resources director, to initiate a background investigation on Copeland after he had been hired as acting city manager.
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Both Corwin and [League appointed attorney representing the city] Fleming-Wolfe will review a requested transcript of the proceedings thus far before submitting their written closing arguments, which are due to Judge Gearin on Jan. 22, 2008.

The judge then has 90 days from that date to issue a decision....

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