IRON RIVER CITY Manager David Thayer with his attorney, Susan MacGregor, in Iron County Court. (Theresa Proudfit/Daily News photo)

CRYSTAL FALLS — Iron River City Manager David Thayer said Wednesday he fired Laura Frizzo as police chief because it was clear to him they were never going to have a successful working relationship.

Thayer took the stand in Iron County Court for the first time in Frizzo’s wrongful termination suit against him and the city of Iron River.

Frizzo contends in her suit that Thayer fired her Dec. 9, 2016, while she was on medical leave, because of her gender, saying Thayer has an antagonistic history with women.

Asked Wednesday if Frizzo’s gender played any role in his decision, Thayer responded, “Absolutely not.”

He instead cited trouble with her temperament, demeanor and professionalism. She was prone to emotional outbursts, vulgarity and disrespecting the chain of command, he said.

“She was a challenge,” Thayer said.

A report by Dr. Craig Childs, a clinical psychologist Thayer hired to evaluate Frizzo during her leave of absence, described Frizzo as defensive, questioning of authority and having perceptions of being persecuted. He noted that while she might view herself as assertive, others might see her as domineering or grandiose.

Although Childs ultimately deemed Frizzo fit for duty, Thayer concluded it was an unworkable situation. “This is who she was,” Thayer said, “and it wasn’t going to change.”

He and his attorney, Susan MacGregor, maintain Thayer as city manager had the authority to terminate employees at his discretion, including Frizzo.

Both sides have described the relationship between Frizzo and the city manager as contentious. The two disagreed over contract issues in meetings, memos, emails and phone calls.

Frizzo testified last week that during one telephone call, Thayer called her a derogatory term for women.

Thayer said Wednesday he was “completely” certain she couldn’t have heard him. He claimed the word was as an “involuntary reaction” said in the privacy of his own office when Frizzo hung up on him after a fiery tirade.

But, as Frizzo’s attorney Courtney Morgan noted in cross-examination, Thayer wasn’t quite alone when making that statement.

Iron River City Clerk Rachel Andreski previously testified she heard him shouting and slam the phone receiver in its cradle from her desk outside his open office door.

Now-retired Iron River police officer Nick Grabowski overheard Thayer use the term and claimed in his testimony it was said before the phone was hung up.

“There’s something about this that’s always bothered me,” Morgan said. “Do you consider the term … to be a derogatory term for a female?”

“Today, yes,” Thayer said.

Morgan then pointed to Thayer’s deposition, where he said he didn’t view the word as a slur.

“Are you recanting your testimony?” Morgan asked.

“Yes,” Thayer said.

“You lied in your deposition?” Morgan said.

“I wasn’t consistent,” Thayer said.

Would this word mean something more, Morgan asked, coming from a superior?

“Yes,” Thayer said.

Morgan also noted Thayer never apologized for the comment. “It didn’t come up,” he said.

Thayer is expected to continue his testimony today.