[Rocketfan]

A Lynchburg police detective is suing the city for $500,000, claiming he was harassed and intimidated after publicly criticizing the city manager during a City Council meeting earlier this year.
City Manager Kimball Payne, who is named as a defendant in the matter along with Police Chief Parks Snead, is expected to make a statement about the accusations today at 5 p.m.
On Tuesday, Detective John Romano filed suit against the city in federal court, claiming he was berated and intimidated after questioning how Payne was handling the budget. In remarks made to City Council during a March 10 meeting, Romano contested several of the city manager’s spending decisions, saying he did not understand the “logic and reasoning” behind certain measures — including forging ahead with the Fifth Street roundabout — given the rocky state of the economy.

The lawsuit, which asks for $250,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages, says that Romano was called in for a meeting with the police chief and city manager after his address to council. The suit says Romano taped that conversation and claims the city manager told the detective there would be “repercussions” if he spoke out again.

http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/news/lo ... ity/18307/

[rogers3]

After Payne threatened Romano's job, he told him "You're going to get away with it this time. I'm not a vindictive person, but don't pretend you can do that, because I can tell you that it's going to make a difference in your career and you'll never be able to prove that it didn't."
Just about the dumbest thing he could have said.

I guess BJ will be applying for the job!