Delray Beach and Boca Raton have something in common: each city has been sued by the same woman making the same accusation about the same subject.
That woman is Christine Ferrigan. In a complaint filed with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Ferrigan alleges that Delray Beach “harassed, intimidated, threatened” and eventually fired Ferrigan for investigating and pointing out problems related to water safety. In Delray Beach, water is the issue that won’t go away.
Delray Beach hired Ferrigan in June 2017. Three years earlier, she had settled for $537,500 a lawsuit against Boca Raton after claiming that officials in that city had retaliated against Ferrigan. In that lawsuit, Ferrigan also claimed that higher-ups had ignored her warnings about dangerously low water pressure and faulty connections in the reclaimed water system. Boca Raton denied the allegations.
The similarities between the two cases are startling. Both included an investigation by the Palm Beach County Health Department. Both involved accusations of “forever chemicals”—known as PFAs—in the drinking water. Both centered on reclaimed water, which is partially treated and used only for irrigation. Both cities have such systems, which depend on keeping that water separate from potable water.
Delray Beach’s problems began in late 2018, with reports from residents that water was making them sick. To read Ferrigan’s recounting of who was involved is to recall the revolving door of top...
Quince is looking to sidestep a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of “defraud[ing] customers as to the value of thousands of … products sold on its website.” In a newly filed motion to dis...