HAWTHORNE : City Attorney Fired, Will Get 6 Months Pay
City Atty. Michael Adamson has been fired by the City Council.
After a public hearing followed by a closed-door meeting Monday night, the council voted 4 to 1 to dismiss Adamson effective March 25. Councilman Steven Andersen cast the dissenting vote, maintaining that Adamson had performed well for the city.
Assistant City Atty. Glen Shishido will continue as acting city attorney until a permanent replacement is found.
Council members remained tight-lipped at Monday’s meeting about precisely why they fired Adamson, a 17-year veteran of the city attorney’s office, saying the action was a personnel matter.
However, Councilwoman Ginny M. Lambert said last month that the council’s plan to fire Adamson was linked to allegations by some council members that he had acted improperly to restructure his employment contract. The contract allowed Adamson to receive cash for a percentage of unused sick leave and vacation time.
In a public hearing Monday night, Adamson disputed those allegations and said he is the target of a political vendetta by the council.
Because of a termination clause in his contract, Adamson will continue to receive his monthly salary of almost $9,000 for six months.
More to Read
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.
