Troy — A former District Court administrator has filed a federal lawsuit against the court's chief judge claiming she was retaliated against and fired after her complaints prompted a Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission probe into how another judge allegedly mistreated court staff and the public.
Dana O’Neal alleges 52nd District Court Chief Judge Joseph Fabrizio dismissed her as court administrator in December without explanation after she began keeping track of alleged mistreatment of herself and others by Troy District Judge Kirsten Nielsen Hartig. O’Neal alleged Hartig created a hostile work environment. She claims a violation of Michigan's Whistleblower Protection Act and First Amendment retaliation.
Neither Hartig or Fabrizio responded to requests for comment from The Detroit News on Friday. Hartig is not a defendant in the lawsuit.
O’Neal had worked for several county offices since 1992, according to the complaint, and in April 2018 was hired as the administrator for the Troy court. O’Neal said in May 2018 after a medical leave for “stress-related” conditions, she returned to work and was put on notice by Hartig she had to report to the judge daily “unless you’re unconscious.”
Her lawsuit alleges several former court administrators “had abandoned the position due to mistreatment by Hartig.”
In August of 2018 Hartig “hailed (O'Neal) into an open court where she accused her of mismanaging grant funding,” and O'Neal said she was humiliated before a courtroom full of...
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