MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN/WBUP) — Two months after the initial complaint was filed, attorneys for Marquette County have responded to allegations it wrongfully terminated an employee for raising cybersecurity concerns.

On Oct. 6, 2025, former Marquette County Information Systems Manager Paul Carley filed a civil complaint against the county, alleging he was fired for refusing to grant county network access to employees of a private cyber auditing company — something Carley said could be illegal and risk law enforcement's access to crime databases.

As we looked into the issue, independent cybersecurity experts have told us Carley may have a point, according to his telling of events.

Now, the County is sharing its side of the story.

In a 17-page response, the County paints a picture of an employee who had pulled his employer’s final straw.

The attorneys argued while Carley said he had a clean employment record — he had in fact received some number of verbal reprimands, including one over a failure to fix a wireless video issue in the board chair’s office.

What appears to be the central disagreements in the suit concern whether the 3rd party cybersecurity auditors could meaningfully gain access to county systems through the earlier assessments, and whether the company's employees were properly authorized.

On Carley's departure, the county says Carley was notified of being placed on leave, but never was. Before the leave could take effect, he refused to provide the 3rd party firm...

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