Lawsuit claims ex-Joliet city manager, others violated employee’s federal rights

A former Joliet city employee claims in a lawsuit that a former city manager and two others fired her in 2022 in retaliation for exercising her rights under the Family Medical Leave Act.

The lawsuit was filed Nov. 14 by Tamara Edmonson and against former City Manager James Capparelli. He resigned from his post about two months after Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy won the 2023 election against incumbent Bob O’Dekirk.

Finance Director Kevin Sing, Human Resource Director Kathy Franson and the City of Joliet are also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by Chicago law firm Avery and Kill.

Edmonson was a grants coordinator for the City of Joliet. The lawsuit alleged Edmonson secured about $4.2 million in grants for the city before she was fired.

Edmonson claims her rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act were violated when she was fired in 2022 after she requested a temporary reduced work schedule for medical issues.

Sing and Franson did not respond to a message and call on Monday about the lawsuit. Capparelli did not respond to a call.

Edmonson’s lawsuit had a copy of a letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that said there was “reasonable cause” to believe she was discriminated based on her disability.

Capparelli was previously sued by former Joliet Police Chief Dawn Malec, the first female police chief in the city’s history. The defamation lawsuit led to Malec receiving a $100,000 settlement from the city.

Edmonson’s lawsuit claims she was allowed to take a 12-week leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act for a surgical procedure. About six weeks into her leave, Edmonson claimed her doctor released her to work remotely as she had a desk job.

Edmonson’s lawsuit alleged she asked Capparelli if she could return to work remotely to preserve her medical leave time on an “intermittent basis for her follow-up recovery and treatment.”

However, Capparelli denied the request, which led to Edmonson having to use up the rest of her medical leave, the lawsuit alleged.

When Edmonson completed her medical leave, she requested a reduced work schedule on a temporary basis until her next doctor’s appointment but that request was denied by Sing, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit claims other city employees in 2022 were able to work on a part-time basis, work remotely and work with reduced schedules.

Edmonson requested a copy of a written policy that the city did not allow part-time work and she was told by Sing that “she should know they have no policy,” the lawsuit alleged.

Edmonson then sent a complaint about the denial of her requests and asked for a meeting to discuss the issue but she was given no response, the lawsuit alleged.

On Nov. 30, 2022, almost three weeks after Edmonson returned from her medical leave, Franson called Edmonson to tell her she was fired and gave no reason for the firing, the lawsuit alleged.

About a week later, Franson emailed Edmonson that the decision for her firing was based on her inability to work full time and “reporting concerns,” the lawsuit alleged. Edmonson’s lawsuit said she has no knowledge of “reporting concerns” and has never been disciplined.

Edmonson’s lawsuit claims she was subjected to retaliation for exercising her federal rights and her firing violated those rights.