THE FORMER HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR OF WOODBURY COUNTY HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY AND SUPERVISOR MATTHEW UNG.
ED GILLILAND SAYS THE COUNTY VIOLATED THE IOWA CIVIL RIGHTS ACT FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION WHEN THEY DISMISSED HIM ON JANUARY 2ND OF THIS YEAR.
GILLILAND ALSO CLAIMS IN THE LAWSUIT THAT THE COUNTY RETALIATED AGAINST HIM WHEN HE OBJECTED TO AND OPPOSED THE COUNTY’S ACTION AGAINST SIMILAR OLDER EMPLOYEES.
GILLILAND, NOW 64, WAS HIRED AS HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR IN APRIL OF 2014, AND STATES IN THE LAWSUIT THAT MATTHEW UNG AND JEREMY TAYLOR BEGAN WHAT HE CALLS A CRUSADE TO RID THE COUNTY OF ITS OLDER MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES AFTER THEY WERE ELECTED TO THE BOARD IN NOVEMBER 2014.
HE NAMES FORMER JUVENILE DETENTION DIRECTOR MARK OLSEN AND FORMER PLANNING AND ZONING HEAD JOHN PYLELO AS EXAMPLES OF OLDER DEPARTMENT HEADS REMOVED AND REPLACED.
GILLILAND SAYS HE WAS ORDERED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2017 TO OFFER THE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR’S POSITION TO A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE AT A DINNER ALSO ATTENDED BY TWO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERS .
THE CANDIDATE DECLINED THE OFFER AND THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE COUNTY THEN TOOK ACTION AGAINST GILLILAND FOR BREACHING CONFIDENTIALITY TO THE CHAMBER MEMBERS.
UNG WAS BOARD CHAIRMAN AT THAT TIME.
GILLILAND, WHO NOW LIVES IN STORY COUNTY, IS ASKING FOR UNSPECIFIED MONETARY DAMAGES IN THE LAWSUIT.
THE COUNTY HAS NOT ISSUED A RESPONSE TO THE LAWSUIT.
