TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The City of Tallahassee is facing another discrimination lawsuit after a former employee says he was retaliated against for taking medical leave.
James Kirkland says health issues prompted him to ask for accommodations the city wouldn't grant, and that his supervisor was intent on getting back at him for taking time off.
In the lawsuit, Kirkland claims he took more time off to care for his son who also had medical issues. He said he asked for longer bathroom breaks, but wasn't allowed. He claims his supervisor denied his request to wear more comfortable footwear because of a painful foot condition.
In July 2017, Kirkland hurt his ankle on the job and took two days off, but when he returned, he was told he was getting laid off and received a final check of zero dollars and zero cents.
In a statement, interim city manager Reese Goad said, "This appears to be an attempt by a disgruntled former employee to disparage the good work being done by city employees. These allegations are unsubstantiated and have been remanded to a court of law to be confirmed, or not."
Kirkland is the latest in a series of former city employees who've filed lawsuits.
In November, former utility worker Clinton Smith filed a whistle-blower lawsuit and so did former electric warehouse manager Denise Crawford.
We've reached out to Kirkland's attorney to learn more about his case, but she was unavailable for comment.
