RICHMOND — The whistleblower whose public complaints touched off an investigation last year into the activities of a top Richmond administrator sued the city and several officials this week in U.S. District Court, claiming they have retaliated against her for speaking out.
Stacie Plummer, a finance manager and 27-year city employee, said that since 2009 her career in Richmond has stalled — no raises, promotion or stability in job roles. Plummer alleges that her lack of advancement is punishment for exposing what she says is rampant unlawful conduct at City Hall and amounts to a violation of her free speech rights and California government and labor codes.
“Everyone is scared to report corruption,” Plummer said in an interview this week. “Instead, they come to me because they know I’m already in trouble.” And, she added, she speaks up.
The suit, filed Tuesday, names the city, former Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Director Leslie Knight, City Manager Bill Lindsay and two other current employees.
In the 14-page suit, Plummer reiterates claims that Knight misused public resources. An independent review conducted last year in the wake of Plummer’s complaints found that Knight spent up to 30 percent of her working day on “personal purposes”; collected a monthly city car allowance for years while also using a city-issued vehicle; directed a subordinate to access Plummer’s email; and used city staff to help assemble “trinkets.”
Plummer had previously claimed that the trinkets were part of a personal business that Knight ran out of City Hall, but the investigation concluded they were given to other employees as morale boosters.
Soon after the independent investigation, Knight retired from her post.
Plummer also claims in the suit that her direct manager, Richmond Library Director Katy Curl, removed Plummer’s job duties from September 2012 until March 2014 after Plummer reported what she said was improper use of a state-funded purchase card and false financial statements in a federal grant report. During that time, according to the suit, “other less-qualified finance employees had been promoted without review.”
“The claims are without merit,” Lindsay said about Plummer’s allegations, “and we will defend the lawsuit vigorously.”
In addition to Curl, Knight and Lindsay, the suit also named Lisa Stephenson, Richmond’s human resources director.
Oakland mayoral hopeful Dan Siegel of Siegel & Yee law firm is representing Plummer. The case has been assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael M. Cousins, and a case management conference is set for 10 a.m. Dec. 3.
Contact Jennifer Baires at 925-943-8378. Follow her at Twitter.com/jenniferbaires.