The former outside counsel and human resources director for the Township of Macomb had an employment agreement that was void as against public policy, a panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled, affirming summary disposition for the township and individual defendants on Whistleblowers’ Protection Act (WPA) and related employment law claims.
“[P]laintiff’s employment contract clearly extended beyond the term of the Board that approved it, as the contract had no termination date, and … provided that plaintiff could only be terminated for just cause,” Chief Judge Michael F. Gadola wrote. “[P]laintiff’s contract is void because it deprived the Board of its statutory power to select and appoint a township employee under MCL 41.75a.”
Daniel S. Saylor of Garan Lucow Miller in Detroit represented the Township of Macomb and individual defendants.
“We were confident that our position was correct, so it was pleasing to have the court affirm what we had hoped for and expected,” he said.
Berkley attorney Mark Granzotto of Granzotto & Wittmann, who represented the plaintiff, did not respond to a request for comment on the case.
Dual role draws criticism
The plaintiff attorney began working as outside counsel for the Township of Macomb in 2011. In January 2017, he was hired by the township as a full-time employee in a newly created...
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