City Councilor Maria Perez stands with her supporters and lawyers on the steps of the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse at an Aug. 6 press conference. Perez is taking legal action against her former employer after she was terminated from her job on July 21.
Reminder Publishing photos by Ryan Feyre
SPRINGFIELD — Ward 1 City Councilor Maria Perez is taking legal action against her former workmates at New North Citizens Council for what she claims — among other things — was a “wrongful termination” from her job as chief of housing programs.
The multi-count complaint, filed by Perez’s attorneys in Hampden County Superior Court, accuses the lawsuit’s defendants — including the NNCC — of spearheading an “organized conspiracy to terminate and defame” Perez, who was officially fired from her position at NNCC on July 21.
According to her attorneys, Perez is seeking $1 million in damages.
“We seek full compensation for the significant financial, reputational and emotional harm inflicted on Councilwoman Perez by these defendants,” said Jeffrey Morneau, a local employment and labor attorney representing Perez.
Background
In a vague press release sent to media outlets on July 26, NNCC announced that Perez was terminated from her position after a “thorough internal review.” The release did not clearly delineate why she was fired, but stated that “NNCC strongly condemns the embezzlement of federal funds and the misuse of 501c3 resources for political purposes.”
NNCC Executive Director Maria Ligus confirmed Perez’s termination in an email on July 28 to Reminder Publishing, but would not comment any further on the matter because the situation was under a “formal investigation.”
The press release was sent by former NNCC Board of Directors Clerk Efrain Vazquez, Jr.
“Her employment was terminated following a thorough internal review and has been referred to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Ethics Commission to ensure integrity and accountability,” the July 26 announcement read.
However, another press release was sent by NNCC on Aug. 1, in response to the July 26 one. In the new release, Ligus said she was “directly involved” in the decision to fire Perez and stated that the July 26 announcement contained “certain inaccuracies.”
She also shared that the initial press release was issued “without knowledge or approval of NNCC executive leadership and without formal authorization from the NNCC Board.”
“I was directly involved in the decision to terminate the employment of Ms. Maria Perez, a former employee of the organization,” Ligus said. “Such termination was unrelated to any allegations or findings related to the use of federal funds.”
In Perez’s termination letter, which was provided in the lawsuit, Ligus said that a forensic audit of Perez’s work computer found an “immense amount of political documents and files; multiple files for Woman of the Vanguard, and lots of documents not even remotely related to [Perez’s] job as chief of housing.”
There was no mention of embezzlement in the termination letter.
Perez’s lawsuit
The nebulous situation reached a consequential juncture on Aug. 6 when Perez, surrounded by her lawyers and supporters, announced the lawsuit against her former colleagues during a press conference on the steps of the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse.
Among other things, Perez’s lawsuit accuses Ligus and Joesiah Gonzalez — a former member of the NNCC board and current opponent of Perez’s in the Ward 1 City Council race this fall — of working together to craft the July 26 press release.
The lawsuit described the initial release as a “calculated attack” containing false information.
“On July 21, in the middle of a political campaign for the Ward 1 City Council seat, Ms. Perez was abruptly and unceremoniously terminated from her employment by Maria Ligus, the executive director of NNCC,” Morneau said. “We allege that this termination was without cause, pre-planned and specifically designed to derail Councilor Perez’s reelection campaign in favor of her opponent, Mr. Gonzalez.”
The lawsuit specifically alleges that Gonzalez used Vazquez’s computer to draft the initial press release. He then consulted Ligus, Vazquez and former NNCC Board President Juana Girona about all aspects of the release, including what information would be included, according to the litigation.
The lawsuit states that the draft was finalized and approved by Gonzalez, Ligus, Vazquez and Girona.
It also alleges that Gonzalez, Ligus and others at NNCC knew the information in the July 26 press release was false before they released it.
Furthermore, Morneau said at the press conference that Ligus was seeking a 10-year employment contract with a wage increase of more than $40,000, but faced obstacles from the board when she attempted to secure that increase.
As a response to those roadblocks, Perez’s lawsuit alleges that Ligus terminated Perez at the request of Gonzalez “in an attempt to help Gonzalez’s political campaign.” In exchange for her help, Ligus wanted Gonzalez to help secure NNCC board approval for “her requested employment contract with significantly increased compensation,” the lawsuit says.
“We believe that Ms. Ligus terminated Ms. Perez in an attempt to help Mr. Gonzalez’s campaign, which she had already supported financially,” Morneau said. “In exchange, Ms. Ligus wanted Mr. Gonzalez to help secure board approval for her outrageous employment contract.”
Aside from Gonzalez, Ligus, Vazquez, Girona, NNCC Human Resources Coordinator Carmen Rivera and the NNCC itself are also named in the lawsuit.
According to Perez’s complaint, Rivera is being accused of assault and battery for how she escorted Perez out of her office after Perez was terminated.
“Ms. Rivera was forcefully pulling plaintiff’s arm and shoulder with one hand, pushing plaintiff with her other hand, and physically directing plaintiff towards her desk,” the lawsuit reads. “Ms. Rivera then aggressively escorted plaintiff out of building all the way to where her car was parked.”
Holding back tears at the press conference, Perez said her former colleagues attempted to attack her with this termination.
“They attempted to attack my family [and] they attempted to attack my integrity,” Perez said. “Most importantly, they attempted to attack my dignity and pride of our Latino community.”
Neither Ligus nor Gonzalez responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit when Reminder Publishing reached out.
Gonzalez was one of nine board members at the NNCC as recently as two weeks ago until he announced on July 31 that he has stepped away to avoid any “public confusion.”
In that statement, which he posted to his Facebook page, Gonzalez said he supported the July 26 press release administered by the NNCC.
“I acknowledge that, like other board members, I supported the press release sent out by New North Citizens Council regarding a recent personnel matter,” Gonzalez said. “I stand by that decision, as I will always support transparency.”
He also said in the Facebook post that, “no board members influenced or decided to terminate Maria Perez for her own actions,” and Ligus ultimately made the decision to terminate Perez.
“It has been an honor to serve on the board,” Gonzalez said. “I have the utmost respect and confidence in the executive director and the board to focus on what matters most: the people of our community.”
Girona, meanwhile, said in a statement a couple days before Perez’s lawsuit that any personnel questions must be directed to Ligus, as the “board has no involvement in hiring or firing of any employees at NNCC.”
According to the lawsuit, Girona was recently voted out as president of the NNCC board. The board also demoted Vazquez from his position as clerk of the board, the lawsuit says.
