Ex-Long Beach comptroller seeks damages

Long Beach's former comptroller is seeking damages from the city after her attorney said she was terminated because she testified against a councilman.

Sandra Clarson's attorney, Michael Borrelli, said in an interview the city's termination of Clarson for testifying before a Nassau County grand jury against Michael Fagen violates the First Amendment. Fagen was indicted last week on charges he concealed his job as a councilman to illegally collect $14,000 in unemployment benefits. He has denied the charges.

City officials said Clarson was not terminated but quit. When Jeff Nogid was hired as comptroller in January, officials said, Clarson agreed to stay on for a transition period of several months. But she stopped coming to work after City Manager Jack Schnirman refused her request to be paid $50,000 on top of her regular salary to "do her job," city spokesman Gordon Tepper said.

They also said Clarson neglected to complete annual W-2 forms for city employees on time, forcing a last-minute scramble and more than $1,500 in overtime for the city to turn them in by deadline. "If someone is abandoning their employment, they're not being terminated," Tepper said.

Asked whether officials knew of Clarson's testimony, Tepper said the city would not comment on Fagen's case.

At last week's council meeting, Clarson's husband took to the podium while she sat in the audience at City Hall. He claimed his wife found out she was being fired in a newspaper article and that she had been "thrown under the bus" after 10 years in her position.

An initial letter to the city on Jan. 31 from Clarson's former lawyer Patrick McCarthy demanded more than $40,000 in owed compensation and stated that Clarson would not be returning to work. A Feb. 6 letter from Borrelli's Great Neck office to the city demanded unspecified compensation for damages caused to Clarson.

"They've threatened litigation, they've demanded two years' severance and we've indicated to them that's not something we consider reasonable or something we could consider," said Corey Klein, Long Beach corporation counsel. As comptroller, Clarson was paid $130,000 per year.

Borrelli wouldn't confirm Clarson is seeking two years' severance and said they hope to resolve the matter without litigation.