The lawsuit challenging the validity of new East Greenwich Town Manager Gayle Corrigan’s hiring in June and her decision to fire a firefighter with union ties played out at trial Monday in Superior Court.
It marked the first day of testimony in the bench trial into the lawsuit brought by James Perry and the firefighters’ union, East Greenwich Firefighters Association, Local 3328, IAFF, AFL-CIO, against Corrigan and the Town Council over Perry’s firing last month. Perry and the union argue that the decision to terminate Perry came in retaliation for his brother William Perry’s vocal criticism of Corrigan and the council. William Perry is the union’s president.
The town asserts that James Perry’s firing was for good cause because he falsely claimed during his hiring process that he had training certifications he doesn’t actually possess.
The lawsuit also challenges the legitimacy of Corrigan’s hiring as town manager, based on alleged Open Meetings Law violations.