April 3, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

West Hollywood Sued by Former City Employee

cityhallA former aide to a member of the West Hollywood City Council sued the city yesterday, alleging she was fired for her role as a witness in an investigation into a colleague’s allegations of harassment and improper electioneering.

Michelle Rex, formerly a deputy to Councilman John D’Amico, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking unspecified damages on allegatios of wrongful discharge, retaliation and failure to prevent retaliation.

A representative for Jenkins & Hogin, the law firm that handles legal matters for West Hollywood, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Rex worked as D’Amico’s deputy from March 2011 until she was fired in January, according to her lawsuit.

According to the complaint, Rex gave statements in the probe into allegations by Ian Owens, a former deputy to Councilman John Duran, that he was harassed by his boss. Owens also alleged improper solicitation and electioneering by Councilman John Heilman’s deputy, the suit states.

“Ms. Rex also independently made complaints related to improper solicitation and electioneering,” according to her court papers.

But instead of taking her complaints seriously and implementing a plan to correct the problems, the council and the city administration “decided to try to sweep these major injustices and unlawful activities under the rug,” the suit alleges.

The city fired Rex and Owens “under the guise that such terminations were part of a restructuring of the deputy program,” the suit alleges.

However, the alleged restructuring was never discussed publicly before Owens made his accusations about Heilman’s office, and just he and Rex were affected by the firings because they were the only full-time deputies at the time, according to the complaint.

City officials were “warned time and again” that their actions were “unfair and unlawful” and that they needed to investigate the harassment and electioneering complaints in a “truly independent manner,” the suit alleges.

“Ultimately, they could not be bothered to uphold the city’s professed core values and do the right thing,” the suit says.

Rex routinely worked up to 80 hours a week and she could have transitioned to a senior administrative role for the rest of her career had D’Amico left the council, the suit states.

“Now, Ms. Rex, who once had such a promising career at the city, finds herself out of a job and with an unclear future as a result of the city’s misconduct,” according to her court papers.

Although West Hollywood is touted as a “bastion of civil rights,” the city administration acted in “a shameful manner,” the suit alleges.

Owens also sued the city, alleging harassment and retaliation, and settled out of court, according to Rex’s court papers.

Tags: , , in Crime, News
Related Posts

Scoop Dreams Come True: Van Leeuwen Launches New Beverly Hills Shop

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Van Leeuwen’s Beverly Hills Opening Comes With Sweet Perks Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, a New York City-born brand celebrated for...

WeHo’s WeHappy Wednesdays Serve Up Big Discounts In Addition to Zero Parking Fees

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

Free Parking and $5 Cocktails? WeHo Makes Wednesdays Worth It The City of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Chamber...

Saijo Hand Roll Rolls into Culver City with Premium Japanese Ingredients

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Binchotan-Fired Perfection: Saijo Rolls Out Premium Sushi in West LA A new destination for hand rolls and Japanese culinary craftsmanship...

(Video) Check Out Bernie’s, a New Pop Up at Citizen Public Market in Culver City

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Made with fresh frozen fruit and a toasted merengue topping these flavors are irresistible. The pop up will be at...

From Cocktails to Coffee: U.S. Tariffs Threaten Imports, Jobs, and Your Grocery Bill

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Major Price Hikes Expected for Coffee, Wine, Chocolate, and Butter  A sweeping new set of tariffs announced by former President...

Levain Bakery to Open Venice Location with Special Guests and Charitable Twist

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Bigger Than a Cookie: Levain’s Venice Opening Is a Flavorful Fundraiser Levain Bakery, the cult-favorite cookie destination founded in New...

LAX Airport Server Finds Hate-Filled Message From Unidentified Diners

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Waiter Says He Was Stunned by the Message Left by Customers Guillermo Ortiz, who works at Planet Hollywood inside the...

Sunset Strip Staple Le Petit Four Shuts Down After Landlord Pulls the Plug

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

End of an Era: Le Petit Four Forced to Close in West Hollywood In a stunning reversal to the upbeat...

Metro LA Pushes Back Sepulveda Transit Community Meetings

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

Environmental Review Delay Prompts Metro to Reschedule  Metro announced that community meetings scheduled for early April to discuss the Sepulveda...

WeHo Unveils ‘WeHappy Wednesdays’ to Support Shops and Restaurants

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

New West Hollywood Plan Makes Midweek Outings Easier and Cheaper In a bid to boost foot traffic and economic recovery...

County Board Approves New Homeless Agency, Redirecting Millions from Existing System

April 2, 2025

April 2, 2025

With Billions on the Line, LA County Moves to Centralize Homeless Response Los Angeles County is making a dramatic shift...

Put the Phone Down: LAPD and CHP Targets Distracted Drivers in April Crackdown

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Hands-Free Law Violations Could Now Cost You More Than Just a Fine Throughout April, the Los Angeles Police Department will...

Kim Delaney, Partner Cleared After Weekend Arrest in Marina del Rey

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Emmy-Winning Actress and Partner James Morgan Released Kim Delaney, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her roles in NYPD Blue and...

(Video) Spending an Afternoon at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Go To Pacpark.com For Tickets and More Information. Go To https://t.co/HneRcysYh5 For Tickets and More Information. #amusementpark #rides #rollercoaster #summer...

Matū Kai to Debut in Brentwood With Grass Fed Wagyu and Global Flair This Week

April 1, 2025

April 1, 2025

Farm-To-Fork Beef, Wood-Fired Flavors, and Sustainability Meet on San Vicente The team behind Beverly Hills’ acclaimed steakhouse Matū will soon...