Erie County Executive Brenton Davis has been slapped with a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he fired an employee in retaliation for voicing a workplace grievance.
The plaintiff, Millcreek Township resident Shawn Held, who had worked as a juvenile counselor at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, at 4728 Lake Pleasant Road, alleges that Davis fired him after he raised concerns about the “substandard” quality of food being served to youth at the center, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas.
The adolescent center is the residential component of the Erie County Office of Children and Youth and consists of two short-term residential programs: a juvenile detention and dependent shelter.
The lawsuit claims Davis violated the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law and the First and 14th Amendments, indicating that Held was speaking on a matter of public concern and that he suffered a loss of employment due to “retaliation for his protected speech.”
Held, 28, is seeking reinstatement to his job with backpay and compensation for damages sustained due to the loss of employment. He's being represented by Erie lawyer Timothy McNair.
The Davis administration declined to comment on the matter due to the pending litigation.
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