Ex-Animal Control boss sues county | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

Tahira Shane Thomas, who headed the 30-person section for 13 years until her dismissal April 11, 2006, filed a $13.5 million lawsuit against the county Jan. 9 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. It says the county - the police department oversees Animal Control - maintains a double standard regarding the treatment of white and black employees.

"The Defendant and its agents treated Ms. Thomas in a manner wholly inconsistent with the manner in which they handled performance evaluations and disciplinary matters against male, Caucasian employees," Jay P. Holland and Brian J. Markovitz wrote in the lawsuit. "Caucasian males in the agency received lower levels of discipline or none at all."

County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson said his staff is preparing the county's defense, but declined to comment on specifics. "We have substantial defenses to these claims and we are confident of our success," he said.

And Mike Akers, president of the union representing Animal Control employees, said he doesn't believe race was behind Ms. Thomas' termination.

"Absolutely not," he said, arguing it was Ms. Thomas' "intimidating" management style that led to her departure. "It had nothing to do with race at all."

His union gave Ms. Thomas two "no-confidence" votes during her 13 years with the county - one in 1997 and another in January 2006. Those are the only two times Local 582 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees voted no confidence on a county administrator.

Mr. Holland could not be reached for comment.

According to the lawsuit, Ms.Thomas received positive evaluations until 2004.

But that year, she said, she attempted to reprimand a white male employee only to have Deputy Chief

David G. Shipley step in on the man's behalf. She said Chief Shipley then authorized three internal investigations of her between June and August 2004 - all of which were deemed "unfounded" or "not sustained" - and ordered Lt. John Church to begin overseeing her and the activities of Animal Control in October 2004.

Ms. Thomas filed her first discrimination complaint with the county in July 6, 2005.

After that, according to the lawsuit, Chief Shipley told her, "he was the commander and her situation was not going to change."

She said Lt. Church also became more critical of her actions and began circumventing her command after that complaint was filed.

Over the next nine months, Ms. Thomas filed additional complaints against Chief Shipley and Lt. Church claiming they were creating a hostile work environment and retaliating against her for her initial complaint. She complained to the state Human Relations Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Under Ms. Thomas' leadership, Animal Control moved into a new $2.3 million, 20,500 square foot facility in 2000. Animal Control in 1997 also began holding $5 rabies clinics every Thursday afternoon.

Animal Control enforces all animal-related laws, investigates animal cruelty and bite reports, runs regular rabies and spay and neuter clinics, licenses animals and kennel operations, patrols for stray animals and operates a shelter.