Replaced as City Atty. : Ex-Councilman Files Job Claim Against Duarte

A former councilman has filed a claim against the city charging that his colleagues lured him into resigning his council post to become city attorney without any intention of letting him keep the job.

James Coughlin, who is seeking $1 million, was replaced as city attorney one month after he took the job.

Coughlin, who had served on the council for 19 years before he resigned in April, would not comment on his claim, a precursor to filing a lawsuit against the city.

The claim alleges that during the past four years, Mayor John Van Doren; Councilman John Hitt; Jim Kirchner, a member of the city commission that oversees cable television service, and Ed Beranek, who was picked to replace Coughlin on the council, conspired to oust him.

All of the officials who would comment denied the accusation.

Mayor Disputes Claim

Van Doren said the claim “has no merit and there are no grounds for any of his allegations.”

Hitt said he “did not participate in any conspiracy and I am not aware of any conspiracy,” while Kirchner said he was “aware of no conspiracy to get him (Coughlin) off the council.” Beranek declined to comment.

The city attorney’s job became available last March when William Camil, who had been city attorney for 26 years, announced he would resign effective June 30.

After the council began interviewing candidates, Coughlin, 60, resigned from the council in April to seek the position. He said then that he did not intend to run for reelection in November and wanted to leave the policy phase of city government to get more involved in city attorney work. He has served under Camil as assistant city attorney for Santa Fe Springs and Commerce.

The council suspended its search for a city attorney while it sought a council replacement for Coughlin.

Coughlin was named city attorney on May 19, with a tentative agreement under which he would be paid $85 an hour for non-litigation work and $100 an hour for litigation work. He served as city attorney until June 23, when he said he was told the city would hire someone else for the job.

At the time, council members refused to say why Coughlin was replaced. Van Doren would only say, “The council reconsidered its position and decided not to hire him.”

Harmed Reputation

Coughlin’s claim charges that his rejection has harmed his reputation and embarrassed him.

In early July, the council announced that it would re-interview former candidates except for Coughlin. After the July 14 interviews were conducted, it took councilmen 10 minutes to hire John Lawson, deputy city attorney for El Monte. He assumed the post Aug. 1 on a $2,500 monthly retainer.

Manuel Ontal, public information officer for the city, said the claim will be considered in closed session at the Sept. 8 City Council meeting. Then the council will announce whether it will accept or reject the claim, Lawson said.