Federal Trial against Milan Mayor Ends in Summary Judgment
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JACKSON, Tenn.- After seven days of testimony the outcome of a federal lawsuit involving the city of Milan and Mayor Chris Crider is now in the hands of Chief Judge J. Daniel Breen. Current city employee Lindsey Whitney Taylor filed the lawsuit. She alleges her human rights were violated after she filed her original lawsuit against Mayor Crider claiming a first amendment rights violation in 2009. Taylor’s attorneys said she was wrongfully denied opportunities to become a firefighter/ E.M.T after she filed suit against the city and it’s Mayor. In court Tuesday, Patsy Bradley who is Taylor’s current supervisor in Milan Municipal Court, testified about a conversation she had with Taylor at work concerning her back problems. City attorneys suggested it was not known if Taylor is even qualified for an E.M.T position which requires all applicants to be able to lift more than 100 pounds moving. Bradley said Taylor claimed to have had back problems since childhood, when she asked Taylor about her back problems, she said Taylor later called her on the phone upset about the statement. She said Taylor was concerned the statement would hurt her lawsuit. Mayor Chris Crider took the stand again just before 10 a.m. While under oath he denied all allegations of retaliation against Taylor. Taylor’s attorneys allege Mayor Crider moved Taylor from city hall into a dead end administrative assistant position at the Milan Fire Department where she she faced a hostile working environment. Former Fire Chief James Fountain testified Monday saying the only reason Taylor was denied the a firefighter/ E.M.T position in the department was because she never expressed interest in the position and at the time he claims there was not enough money within his budget to pay for her training. Taylor’s attorneys read aloud in court a transcript of a recorded phone conversation between Fountain and Taylor. During that conversation, the chief admitted his plans for Taylor had to be scaled back because of the lawsuit and the strain on the department. Officials said Fountain did not know he was being recorded over the phone. Taylor was awarded $50,000 last Wednesday after a jury agreed Mayor Chris Crider did in fact violate her First Amendment rights by forbidding her to communicate with former city recorder Keri Williams. Williams was fired in September 2008 after she made accusations of corruption against the mayor and his office, according to attorneys. Officials said more than 50 items were submitted into evidence for review. The federal case is now in summary judgment which means court reporters must turn over a full transcript from the proceedings to all attorneys. The transcript process is estimated to take around 45 days. Once attorneys collect the trial transcripts, each side must turn over a 25 page summary briefing of their case over to the judge for review within 30 days. The judge will take that evidence under consideration and take as long as he needs to make a final ruling in the case.
