Former employee sues town

Former Town of Chester account clerk Nicole Griffin has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Chester and Town Clerk Linda Zappala, for retaliation. The filing said Griffin’s position was eliminated due to her support of Republican Robert Valentine in the 2023 election for Town Supervisor. It additionally lodges complaints against Zappala for allegedly creating a hostile work environment.

Griffin and Zappala started on the same side of the political aisle, sitting on the Republican Committee together in 2022 with Griffin as secretary and Zappala as vice chair. But 2023 would prove to be a contentious year for Republicans. Councilman Robert Courtenay, also the then chair of the Republican Committee, ran a primary election against incumbent Supervisor Robert Valentine.

Valentine won the primary, but Courtenay and Zappala did not support him in the November election against Democrat Brandon Holdridge, the eventual winner. During the Republican Committee’s reorganization meeting in the fall of 2023, Robert Valentine was named the new chairman and Linda Zappala lost her position as vice chair.

Griffin supported Valentine in the 2023 race for town supervisor. Griffin stated in the lawsuit that she believes Zappala viewed any supporters of Valentine in the 2023 election as her political enemies and she alleges her work environment became even more hostile as a result. Griffin first reported Zappala’s alleged hostile behavior to supervisors on July 2, 2022, but she said her treatment only got worse and her responsibilities were decreased. Griffin had also filed an ethics board complaint over her treatment by Courtenay.

According to Griffin’s lawsuit, “Zappala would frequently engage in abusive behavior such as screaming at Ms. Griffin, loudly striking her office door throughout the day, intimidating her and speaking openly about Ms. Griffin’s personal life to other town employees so as to embarrass her.”

Zappala told The Chronicle, “The truth will come out” during litigation.

Griffin deferred comment to her attorney, Mike Diederich.

“My client worked hard and did a great job for the town,” Diederich said. “She was fired for her political views. This is wrong, as I am confident a jury will find.”

In the lawsuit, Griffin added that the abolishment of her position was a farce and illegal - as her civil service position received protections from arbitrary layoffs. She alleges that the town’s new position of Deputy Comptroller, assigned to Tanya McPhee, assumed her account clerk duties.

Supervisor Brandon Holdridge said Griffin simply was not qualified for the new position and her loss of employment was a result of restructuring of the town accounting department.

“We wanted a deputy comptroller. That job is a little more technically complicated and required more credentials and education. It was about the town about having a better accounting department,” Holdridge said.

Holdridge said he told Griffin he had no problem with her serving in the Republican Committee and noted that most Town Hall employees are Republican.

“We are prepared to vigorously and confidently defend the matter. The Town of Chester has committed no wrongdoing,” Holdridge said, adding that Griffin had talked to the media before the town had been served with the lawsuit.

Chester already faces a similar lawsuit also citing retaliation by Town Clerk Linda Zappala. In it, Deputy Clerk Nanette Perez said her political affiliations, as well as her husband’s position on the Republican Committee, led to her termination on December 31, 2023.

“I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Her case is based on her first amendment rights but a lot of other things transpired against her at town hall like retaliation and bullying and a multitude of other things she should not have had to suffer through,” Valentine said. “She was really mistreated, she didn’t deserve to be let go. It’s suspicious that the person who filed complaints against Courtenay and Zappala – and Courtenay and Zappala supported Holdridge – gets let go the minute Holdridge takes office.”

In the lawsuit, Griffin seeks the following relief from the court:

1. An award of Ms. Griffin’s actual damages in an amount to be determined at trial for loss of wages, benefits, and promotional opportunities, including back pay, and also an award of back pay and front pay compensating Ms. Griffin for loss of past and future salary and benefits;

2. An award of damages to be determined at trial to compensate Ms. Griffin for mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional injury;

3. An award of punitive damages;

4. A civil penalty of $10,000 under Labor Law § 740 (5)(f);

5. An order enjoining defendants from engaging in the wrongful practices alleged herein and to reinstate Ms. Griffin’s employment with Defendant;

6. An award of attorneys’ fees and the costs of this action; and

7. Such other and further relief as this Court may deem just and proper.