Claims laws, policies violated when terminated as county engineer
A Fairhope attorney filed suit in Escambia County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon on behalf of former County Engineer Bill Bridges claiming the county commission violated Bridges’ due process rights when it fired him on Jan. 9, 2023.
The suit was filed against the county commission as a whole and Commissioners Steven Dickey, Raymond Wiggins, Brandon Smith, Larry White and Karean Reynolds individually.
After placing Bridges on administrative leave with pay the week before, the commission voted 3-2 to terminate him as county engineer during a commission meeting on Jan. 9. Commissioner Smith made the motion to terminate Bridges as the engineer and received a second from Commissioner White. Smith, White and Wiggins voted yes to fire Bridges, Commissioners Dickie and Reynolds voted no.
The suit asks the commission to immediately reinstate Bridges and give him back pay “from the date of the unlawful termination”. It also asks for reasonable attorney fees.
When contacted Wednesday, Commission Chairman Wiggins said he had no comment.
The suit claims the county adopted policies and procedures that gave an employee the right to due process and a hearing pursuant to the Code of Alabama.
“Escambia County’s policies and/or the method and manner in which the policy was implemented in regards to Bridges’ termination failed to meet the minimum due process standards and requirements set forth in the Code of Alabama,” the suit reads, with the suit claiming the commission was required “to provide Bridges reasonable notice and a hearing regarding his proposed termination.”
“The proposed termination presented by Commissioners Smith and White failed to set out sufficient facts showing that the termination is for one or more of the reasons,” the suit continues.
It claims the commission failed to give sufficient detail or specifics of Bridges’ termination to satisfy constitutional requirements to defend against any allegations.
The suit also states the personnel system adopted by the commission states employees are entitled to due process and a hearing.
It notes Bridges had no formal notice of his proposed termination.
“Defendants were required to comply with the minimum requirements of procedural due process requiring notice and a hearing before a fair and impartial tribunal,” the suit reads.
The suit claims by not giving Bridges due process it failed to allow Bridges to defend against the allegations and the opportunity to confront witnesses.
“In issuing the notice and proceeding to terminate Bridges, defendants have acted in bad faith and/or outside their authority,” the suit reads. “Defendants’ conduct was intentional and/or done with reckless indifference to the plaintiff’s protected rights under state and federal law.”
The suit also claims that Bridges’ attorney has verbally communicated to the commission's counsel claiming the termination violated state and federal law but noted the commission has “failed and/or refused to rescind the termination of employment.”
Commissioners received a letter from Bridges’ attorney dated Jan. 12, 2023 stating she felt Bridges’ due process was not followed and his termination was due to be rescinded and is void.
‘As a matter of law, defendants’ termination of Bridges is fatally defective and violates the minimum notice and due process requirements set for under Code of Alabama,”the suit filed Tuesday reads.
“Upon information and belief, Bridges’ termination is directly related to his political support of an opposing candidate of Smith, and also due to his participation in the presentation of a legal petition to Defendant White on or about October, 2022.
The petition in question had 193 signatures with the heading addressed to Commissioner White, which states:
“We feel like if you were a commissioner that you would have never let the other commissioner get rid of the special projects crew. Nor would you have let them fire Mr. Sidney Boutwell. We hope that when you are our commissioner once again that you will put this crew back in place and let the engineer Bill Bridges hire Mr. Boutwell back and handle the hiring and firing.”
The October, 2022, date was after he had won the Republican nomination over incumbent Commissioner Scottie Stewart, but was before White took office in November. Smith last had opposition in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020 without opposition.
“The proposed termination of Bridges was personal and/or political and was prohibited under Escambia County’s personnel system and state and federal law,” the suit reads. “The defendants’ conduct was intentional and/or done with reckless indifference to Bridges’ protected rights under state and federal law.”
It continues that Bridges was not “provided a proper hearing or provided any opportunity to redress the adverse actions and/or false light that was placed upon him.”
