13 people, including Sheboygan mayor, named in lawsuit by former city administrator
A former Sheboygan city administrator is suing 13 people, including the city's mayor, in connection with his firing in January.
The Sheboygan City Council fired Todd Wolf Jan. 9 following an investigation into his conduct. In a complaint filed Feb. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Wolf alleges Sheboygan's mayor and a majority of the City Council members launched the investigation "without any legitimate justification" and had help from Sheboygan Press reporter Maya Hilty "to make sure that his stature in the community was destroyed."
A spokesperson from Gannett Corp., which owns the Press, said, “We do not comment on ongoing litigation.”
The preliminary investigation report has not yet been made public. While specific details about the investigation have not been released, in January Mayor Ryan Sorenson told the Sheboygan Press Wolf's actions as city administrator made the city vulnerable to lawsuits.
The city chose to fire Wolf without cause, rather than for cause, to save money and “minimize the negative impact on both Wolf and other city employees,” according to the city council resolution.
Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Sorenson, the city of Sheboygan, city attorney Charles Adams, Sheboygan Area School District President Mary Lynne Donohue, Hilty, council members Barbara Felde, Roberta Filicky-Peneski, Amanda Salazar, Angela Ramey, Betty Ackley, Zachary Rust, Dean Dekker, Grazia Perrella, and attorney Jill Hall, who conducted the investigation into Wolf's conduct.
The complaint, submitted by Wolf's attorney Jennifer DeMaster, claims Wolf was targeted by the Sheboygan Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Initiative, which in 2021 "installed certain individuals into trusted positions on the Common Council, the Mayoral seat, and one reporter at a local newspaper." Sheboygan DEIB-affiliated elected officials then worked "in conjunction to destroy Mr. Wolf’s reputation with fabricated allegations and remove him as City Administrator without any chance for due process," the complaint alleges.
In the complaint, Wolf requests compensatory damages for "lost income and benefits, severe mental and emotional distress, loss of reputation, humiliation and inconvenience," as well as punitive damages against the defendants. He also requests declarations that defendants violated his First Amendment rights and his 14th Amendment due process rights, and a trial by jury.
No court proceedings related to the lawsuit have yet been scheduled.
RELATED:Sheboygan city administrator fired after investigation. His supporters want details why.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Former Sheboygan administer sues mayor, 12 others over his firing
