Ex-Trumbull Co. employee files suit

By Ed Runyan

The Bristolville woman said her firing violated her constitutional rights.

YOUNGSTOWN — Nicole Klingeman, a Bristolville woman fired by Trumbull County’s new county engineer during his first week in office in January, has filed a federal lawsuit over the firing.

She says her firing was in retaliation for her support of Engineer David DeChristofaro’s opponent in the 2008 primary, Randy Smith.

The suit, naming DeChristofaro as defendant in his personal and official capacities, was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court here and is assigned to Judge Peter C. Economus. Klingeman is of Bristol Townline Road.

A press release from the law firm of Subodh Chandra of Cleveland, which filed the suit, said the firing violated Klingeman’s First Amendment rights to free speech and association and the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees due process and equal protection rights. The suit seeks $2 million in compensation.

DeChristofaro’s office issued a press release at the time of Klingeman’s firing and the layoff of four other employees saying the staff reductions were made because the department was “overstaffed with clerical workers and office staff” and the department’s reduced revenue.

A couple of weeks later, however, DeChristofaro issued another press release saying two of the four laid off workers had been reassigned to different jobs.

That meant that the staff had been reduced by Klingeman, a nonunion fiscal assistant, and two union members who were relatives of former county engineer John Latell — secretary Amanda Latell, John Latell’s daughter-in-law; and surveyor Matthew P. Dohy, John Latell’s son-in-law.

Chandra’s press release says Klingeman worked for the county engineer’s office starting in 1999, working for the administrator/comptroller.

“Klingeman provided modest volunteer support to her office colleague, Randy Smith, [former chief deputy engineer under Latell], on her own time during the Democratic primary in 2008,” the press release said.

DeChristofaro won the Democratic nomination over Smith during the primary election.

David Rouan, DeChristofaro’s director of administration and government affairs, said Tuesday afternoon the office had not seen the lawsuit and would not make any comment on it or its allegations.

He noted, however, the decision to get rid of Klingeman was made “based on a lack of funds and a lack of work, and it was in the best interests of the county engineer’s office and the taxpayers of Trumbull County.”

runyan@vindy.com