City dropped from lawsuit alleging wrongful termination

YOUNGSTOWN — A judge dismissed the city of Youngstown as a co-defendant in a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by an ex-city clerk.

The dismissal by Judge Maureen Sweeney was filed today with the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court’s clerk of courts office.

But trials in civil lawsuits filed by ex-Clerk Arlene Bahar and former Artis Gillam Sr. against each other are scheduled to begin in Judge Sweeney’s court at 9 a.m. Monday.

Gillam filed his lawsuit in March 2006, when he served as the 1st Ward councilman, against Bahar less than three weeks after council fired her as clerk. She countersued Gillam in April 2007.

Bahar’s lawsuit states she was fired in February 2006 after complaining about being sexually harassed by Gillam for more than four years.

The firing was “in retaliation for having truthfully and in good faith opposed the unlawful discriminatory practice” of being sexually harassed by Gillam, Bahar’s lawsuit contends.

Gillam filed his suit against Bahar saying a letter she wrote hours before being fired by city council accusing him of sexual harassment caused him “public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame and/or disgrace.”

Gillam, married to current 1st Ward Councilwoman Annie Gillam, has adamantly denied the claims in Bahar’s lawsuit.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com