Former High Springs Official Sues City, Alleges Wrongful Termination and Hostile Work Environment

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Thomas Henry, former Director of Public Works and Acting City Manager of High Springs, has filed a lawsuit against the City of High Springs, seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for wrongful termination and other claims. The suit also demands a jury trial and lists 52 allegations, including accusations of retaliatory and intimidating practices by City officials that created a hostile work environment.

Henry's employment with the City spanned from March 7, 2022, until his termination on April 15, 2024. The lawsuit alleges that since at least 2023, Henry has been both a witness to and victim of improper employment practices, which he claims were perpetuated by High Springs officials, including former City Commissioner Linda Jones and current Mayor Katherine Weitz.

The lawsuit claims Henry faced retaliation after objecting to and reporting repeated violations of City policy and the City Charter by Weitz and Finance Director Diane Wilson. Henry specifically accused Wilson of improperly selling devalued City property without authorization, which allegedly resulted in lost revenue for the City. According to the suit, Henry reported these actions to the Assistant City Manager and other City officials but was later terminated for his allegations against Weitz and Wilson.

A central point of contention in the lawsuit revolves around alleged violations of Section 2.06 of the City Charter, which restricts City Commissioners from interfering in personnel matters outside their jurisdiction. The suit asserts that both Jones and Weitz repeatedly violated these rules by directly interfering with city staff and operations.

The complaint further accuses Weitz of overstepping her role by investigating City matters independently, presenting incorrect information at commission meetings, and targeting specific City officials and employees, creating a toxic workplace.

The lawsuit claims that Weitz's actions were consistent with the objectives of her mentor, former Commissioner Jones, who had expressed intentions to remove several City officials during her term.

Additionally, the suit outlines multiple incidents involving Finance Director Wilson who was hired in April 2022. It alleges that Wilson was insubordinate and incompetent in her role, leading to significant financial discrepancies in the city’s budget and operational conflicts. Despite a decision by then City Manager Ashley Stathatos to terminate Wilson for these reasons, the lawsuit states that Weitz and others intervened to protect Wilson, complicating City management and contributing to the hostile environment.

The lawsuit also details a series of conflicts and disputes surrounding budget management and financial oversight. It claims that Wilson manipulated budget allocations, resulting in over $2 million in expenditures exceeding appropriations, and that she failed to disclose critical information to the city commission. The lawsuit further states that “the City received a letter from the [State of Florida] Joint Legislative Audit Committee requesting a written explanation for the status of corrective action for the specified audit findings High Springs had failed to correct. Under Wilson’s watch expenditures exceeded appropriations (the final approved budget) by over two million dollars.”

Henry's lawsuit seeks to hold the City of High Springs accountable for the alleged violations and the ensuing damage to his career and professional reputation. When contacted for comment about the lawsuit, High Springs City Attorney Scott Walker said, “Since this involves ongoing litigation, I would prefer not to comment at this time. It will all get sorted out eventually.” High Springs Mayor Katherine Weitz said, “I am unaware that the City has been served with a lawsuit. I would not comment on anything active.”

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