Ousted City Manager Files Claim Over Firing
Monterey Park City Manager Mark Lewis--fired July 22 by City Council members who blamed him for low employee morale--on Thursday filed a claim against the city, contending that his ouster was illegal.
Lewis has accused Mayor Betty Couch and City Councilwomen Judy Chu and Marie Purvis of holding an illegal secret meeting before voting to fire him. The three denied that, although Chu said she had telephoned Couch and Purvis and told them that she planned to ask for the removal of Lewis.
The three council members say that Lewis, now under a 30-day suspension before his firing becomes official, gave improper salary raises, violated hiring policies and treated employees harshly. In his claim, which is a prerequisite to a lawsuit, Lewis said such statements defamed and humiliated him. He is demanding an unspecified amount of damages.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
