This was provided by Nick Giurleo running for Medford City Council.

The City of Medford and Mayor are being sued for violating the civil rights of Department of Public Works employees?

The federal lawsuit alleges this:

“On December 9, 2024 . . . employees of the Medford Department of Public Works (DPW), were abruptly pulled off their jobs, ordered to the DPW garage, and, under threat of termination, subjected to invasive and unsanitary drug and alcohol testing. The testing, conducted in a van, with its door left open, exposed [the DPW employees] to public view while a technician failed to follow basic hygiene protocols, such as changing gloves between handling breathalyzer tubes, urine samples, and other materials. No employee tested positive, and there was never any good faith reason to believe they would . . . . Far from a legitimate workplace safety measure, the tests were a retaliatory volley in an ongoing feud with [the DPW employees] and their union. Defendants . . . ordered the testing in bad faith to punish [the DPW employees] for their protected activities, including opposing the Mayor’s administration, participating in court cases against the City, engaging in public protests and rallies, and for the suggestion that the Mayor engages in political favoritism.”

Our DPW workers and all other city employees provide invaluable services to our city. Their constitutional rights must be protected. Nick will commit to ensuring this is so when he is elected.

You, the residents, are paying for this lawsuit and others. The current City Council consists of no attorneys and our newly-hired city solicitor has thus far been an invisible presence in ensuring Medford is in compliance with the law. When Nick is elected, he will use his expertise as an attorney to investigate instances when the city is not in compliance with the law. He will speak out when he believes the city is engaging in illegal conduct and do everything he can to provide redress before lawsuits are filed. His priorities are accountability and your wallet.

The complaint is below. Read Pages 4-13 for more details on what led to this lawsuit. Email info@nickgformedford.com if you would like a PDF.

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