The former director of communications for Kansas City government on Wednesday won a whistleblower lawsuit he brought against the city in which he alleged he was forced out of his job because he resisted City Manager Brian Platt’s suggestions that it would be ok for city officials to lie to the news media.
Platt denied doing so during testimony last week.
But a Jackson County jury believed Chris Hernandez instead. In a unanimous verdict, jurors recommended on Wednesday evening that Hernandez receive $928,829 in damages.
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Of that, $228,828 was due to his demotion from the communications job he’d held for nine years after a long career as a television news reporter. And the jury awarded him $700,000 because Hernandez felt he had no other choice but to retire early from the city at age 58 a year after his demotion because he had transferred to another city job with far fewer responsibilities and no chance for advancement.
The city will also likely owe a substantial amount to pay his lawyers for their time and expenses, which will be determined by a judge at a later date.
City officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday night.
Hernandez filed his lawsuit in the fall of 2022. He retired from the city at the end of September 2023.
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