Ex-city worker sues, says she was fired over concerns about role of Mayor Greenberg's wife

A former employee in Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's office alleges she lost her job after voicing her concerns about the role of the mayor's wife in his administration.

The lawsuit, which is being handled by local attorney Thomas Clay, alleges she was wrongfully terminated in a violation of the Kentucky Whistleblower Act.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Jefferson Circuit Court against Louisville Metro Government, Samantha Ricketts denies providing information for a Courier Journal article that detailed Rachel Greenberg's authority in the office.

The lawsuit alleges Ricketts received direct orders from Rachel Greenberg while working as a graphic design specialist for the government. For instance, she said she was directed by the first lady to design a water bottle for the mayor to use when he goes for a run.

"All of this caught me by surprise as I have never had a meeting with or interacted in this way with a First Lady, and I was not aware she would be taking a role in the administration, let alone having meetings with me, giving me directions, and making decisions on my work. I do not understand her role, as no one has mentioned it, and am unsure how to approach this situation," Ricketts wrote in a timeline provided in the lawsuit. That timeline entry is dated Jan. 4, 2023.

Ricketts raised concerns about this in the office, the complaint says.

Following The Courier Journal's story on Rachel Greenberg's role in the administration — reporting that she had a Metro Hall office, a city-issued @louisvilleky.gov email address and gave orders to Metro Hall staffers — Ricketts told city officials she had not been one of the anonymous sources cited in the article, the lawsuit says.

Three days later, Ricketts was notified that her position had been eliminated, the suit says.

Contacted for comment, Greenberg's office issued the following statement from the mayor:

"The allegations in this case have no legal merit. Sam Ricketts is a disgruntled former employee held over from the prior administration who was seemingly unable to work well with our new administration. Sam Ricketts was not terminated. Her position was eliminated after it was determined Metro Government did not need a full-time graphic specialist in the mayor’s office.

"Shortly thereafter, Sam Ricketts applied for and was offered another position that better matched her career goals at the same salary. Sam Ricketts never responded to the offer, instead choosing to seek out an undeserved and lucrative payout through this unfounded legal battle."

A complaint was filed with the Metro Ethics Commission against Greenberg by Malcomb Haming, a Republican Party official, based on The Courier Journal's stories. A motion to dismiss filed on Greenberg's behalf says, "Rachel made no substantive decisions" while interacting with Metro Hall staffers concerning the graphic design "for Mayor’s Office business cards and stationery and for a new logo for the Y’ALL program," which the first lady has championed.

The lawsuit alleges this is untrue.

The mayor's statement, provided to The Courier Journal on Wednesday, goes on to praise the work of Rachel Greenberg: "Our city is fortunate to have Rachel – a compassionate, loving and kind First Lady who is committed to making an impact by volunteering with schools, children and families throughout Louisville who welcome her with open arms and smiles.

"Rachel leads by example and neither she, nor I, will be deterred by these hateful, false and recycled allegations that have no purpose other than to cause harm. We’re going to continue to focus on what matters: Making Louisville a safer, stronger and healthier city for everyone."

After The Courier Journal story on Rachel Greenberg's role published in September, an internal memo sent by the mayor's chief of staff, David Kaplan, said she is “an unpaid volunteer” and that the anti-nepotism clause of the ethics code “only applies to employment and appointed positions in the Mayor’s Office.” It showed she had a city-issued iPhone and computer.

The motion to dismiss the ethics complaint against Craig Greenberg also denies his wife had a dedicated office. It says she used a "shared office that multiple employees, volunteers, and office visitors use when working in or visiting the Mayor's Office."

In Ricketts' timeline, included in the lawsuit, she references a meeting "held in Rachel Greenberg's office with Pat Miller, Rachel, Monica Sheckles, and me," on Jan. 24, 2023.

The lawsuit names the Louisville Metro Government as the sole defendant. Ricketts is seeking punitive damages and lost wages as remedies. She made about $57,000 annually, according to Metro government salary data.

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: City worker claims firing over concerns about role of Rachel Greenberg