Laura Frizzo

IRON RIVER — Former Iron River Police Chief Laura Frizzo is seeking reinstatement to her old job and at least $25,000 in compensation in a lawsuit filed last week against Iron River City Manager David Thayer and the Iron River City Council.

Thayer fired Frizzo on Dec. 9, citing her management style and professional standards and practices as irreconcilable with his own. The council affirmed his decision during a Jan. 25 special meeting, when they said “under no circumstances would the council support reinstatement of Ms. Frizzo in her former position.”

Frizzo, in the lawsuit summons and complaint filed March 3 in the Iron County Clerk’s Office, claims Thayer and the council violated:

— The Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which among other issues prohibits gender discrimination in employment. Frizzo’s salary was less than that of her male predecessor, she wasn’t given longevity pay offered to her male predecessor and she was subjected to demeaning language, according to her suit.

— The Whistleblowers’ Protection Act of Michigan that prevents employers from discriminating against or discharging employees who report suspected violations of federal, state or local laws. Frizzo said she reported Thayer for altering a police officer’s time card to eliminate overtime compensation, prompting officers to file a grievance with their union and contact the Michigan State Police.

— The Open Meetings Act. Frizzo believes the city council discussed her employment and termination during a closed session Jan. 25 while they were evaluating Thayer. She wasn’t notified and given an opportunity to be present or to request the discussions take place in open session, according to the complaint.

Thayer and the council have 21 days to respond to the summons and complaint.

The case has been assigned to Dickinson County Circuit Judge Mary Barglind. Frizzo, through her attorneys Morgan & Meyers, PLC of Dearborn, Mich., has requested a jury trial.

When contacted Wednesday by The Daily News, Iron River City Attorney Mark Tousignant offered no comment on the pending litigation.

Thayer, on the other hand, vehemently denied Frizzo’s allegations and called the lawsuit “frivolous.”

“Nothing’s going to stick,” he said. “There’s not a thread of truth in the entire document I read.”

Frizzo claimed in the lawsuit that when she called Thayer in April 2016 to discuss discrepancies on vacation time, he called her a derogatory term towards women — which another officer overheard — before hanging up the phone.

Thayer rejected that version of the story, saying Frizzo had yelled at him through the duration of the phone call before hanging up on him. He claimed he was in shock and said the derogatory term as an “involuntary reaction” in the privacy of his own office and not directly to Frizzo. He wasn’t aware until later the other officer overheard him, he said.

On the officer time card issue, Thayer said he regularly reviews time sheets and makes corrections in his capacity as manager. The police union — not Frizzo — brought up this complaint and agreed to drop charges when they signed their contract, Thayer said.

Thayer also noted Frizzo already had been fired when the council met in closed session Jan. 25, and any rights she had as an employee no longer were in effect. The closed session focused solely on evaluating Thayer and his handling of Frizzo’s termination, he said.

Nikki Younk can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 41, or nyounk@ironmountaindailynews.com.