Crabtree sues Saugus selectmen

SAUGUS – Former town manager Scott Crabtree filed a Superior Court complaint Tuesday stating the Board of Selectmen fired him for investigating a board member?s business activities and for refusing “to accommodate illegal requests.”The 15-page complaint asks the court to order selectmen to reinstate Crabtree as town manager; pay him lost pay and benefits as well as “damages reflecting emotional distress.”?Mr. Crabtree is filing this complaint in order to challenge his clearly unjust termination,” attorney Thomas Fowler said in a statement on Crabtree?s behalf.Board members Stephen Castinetti, who is mentioned in detail in the complaint, and Maureen Dever immediately framed the complaint against the backdrop of the March 17 recall election that could cost the pair as well as board chairman Ellen Faiella and member Paul Allan their elected positions.?It?s very clear this is political and legal theatrics,” said Dever.The complaint contends that Crabtree?s firing last October and his dealings with selectmen leading up to it are a violation of the state Whistleblower Act because Crabtree “…disclosed conduct that he reasonably believed violated the law and he refused to accommodate requests that he reasonably believed violated the law.”Harold Lichten, a Boston lawyer and the lead attorney listed on the complaint, represented former Lynn Comptroller John Pace in Superior Court last year on a Whistleblower complaint that resulted in a jury finding in Pace?s favor and awarding him more than $1 million in damages.According to the complaint, Crabtree in 2013 sent town officials a letter “…detailing allegations that had been made to Crabtree that Castinetti had engaged in ethical violations and misconduct.”Crabtree accused Castinetti, according to the complaint, of pressuring Saugus businesses to buy advertising “in exchange for favorable treatment” by selectmen.The complaint claims Crabtree angered Allan early last year by not hiring a friend of Allan?s son as a town firefighter. It also states Crabtree was forced to lay off Faiella from her job in 2012 as a part-time police department records clerk.Allan could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but Dever said the complaint?s claim that she said Crabtree “…was a liar and could not be trusted” is false.?I look forward to being under oath and the truth coming out,” she said.Faiella called the complaint “completely without merit.”?When the time comes, these allegations will be addressed,” she said.Castinetti called Crabtree?s accusations “absolutely ludicrous.”?His allegations are absolutely unfounded. My opinion is that this plays into the recall effort,” Castinetti said.Castinetti, Faiella and Allan are named individually in the complaint and the Board of Selectmen is also named although member Debra Panetta did not vote in October to fire Crabtree. Two other plaintiffs – David Ricciardellil and Brian Lewis – are listed along with Crabtree in connection with state Open Meeting law violations alleged in the complaint.The selectmen are moving ahead with hiring a new town manager with a selectmen-appointed screening committee reviewing candidates for the job. Save Saugus PAC, the citizens? group that successfully pushed last year for the recall, is poised to ask a judge to stop selectmen from hiring Crabtree?s replacement prior to the recall vote.