Former Johnson County executive director files wrongful termination lawsuit

IOWA CITY — More than a year after he was fired from his post as executive director to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Guillermo Morales has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in U.S. District Court.

The lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages, names Johnson County, Supervisors Rod Sullivan and Lisa Green-Douglass, and former supervisor Royceann Porter as defendants.

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In the lawsuit, Morales claims that his termination was due, in part, to his identity as a Latino man, as well as retaliation for his support of a supervisor’s campaign and a censure vote against the county attorney. The lawsuit also claims that the defendants made defamatory statements about him and conspired against him.

The complaint states that Morales filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and that the commission issued a right-to-sue letter on Sept. 25 of this year. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday.

Morales was fired Sept. 4, 2024, when Sullivan, Green-Douglass and Porter voted to immediately terminate his employment.

Supervisors V Fixmer-Oraiz and Jon Green dissented, saying the action was out of line with county procedures and insisting Morales be allowed to keep working, but place him on a performance improvement plan.

Before the vote, Sullivan read a statement detailing the reasons he said were grounds for termination. He alleged Morales had been harsh and argumentative with county staff, disrespectful to departments and had not acted professionally.

The executive director provides administrative guidance to the Board of Supervisors, as well as assisting in the daily operations and strategic initiatives of the county’s government. Morales, who was paid an annual salary of $118,242 a year was in the position for 18 months.

Support of censure vote and Remington’s campaign

The lawsuit alleges that Morales’ termination was in retaliation for his actions related to matters of public concern, and highlights two separate actions.

The first, he claims, was his support for a controversial — and unsuccessful — censure vote against the Democratic county attorney. The second was his support of Mandi Remington’s campaign for county supervisor in 2024.

Sullivan, Green-Douglass and Porter were up for re-election in the June 2024 primary and faced two newcomers — Remington being one. Remington emerged as one of the three top vote-getters, knocking Porter off the board when her term ended.

Morales — who reported to the five supervisors — contributed $250 to Remington’s campaign, and placed a yard sign for her campaign in front of his house.

Disparate treatment, performance concerns

The lawsuit claims Morales was not given any warnings about his work performance, and no disciplinary measures were taken in response to his alleged performance issues before his employment was terminated.

The lawsuit goes on to detail that Morales was paid a one-time $3,000 retention bonus in March of 2024 and received performance evaluations that qualified him for a merit increase at that time.

Morales met weekly from March 21, 2024 to Aug. 30, 2024 with his board liaisons, Green-Douglass and Sullivan, and during that time no job performance issues were mentioned.

The filing details that the two supervisors who voted against Morales’ termination and other county staff had no knowledge of any performance issues.

The lawsuit also calls out that Morales’ interim and permanent replacement are both Caucasian and neither of them publicly supported a supervisor campaign or the county attorney censure vote.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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