GAHANNA, Ohio — A Gahanna police officer filed a $3.5 million lawsuit against the city and the police department, claiming he endured "a humiliating and intolerable working environment" after his wife appeared nude for Playboy.
Ron Fithen filed the lawsuit last week in Franklin County, 10TV's Maureen Kocot reported.
According to the suit, Fithen claimed that the city refused to give him paid leave to drill with the U.S. Army National Guard that was scheduled from July through December.
Brian Zets, the attorney representing Gahanna, said that the city offered to change the officer's schedule.
"(Fithen) just said, 'I need to be accommodated so I can fulfill my Ohio National Guard duties' and the city said, 'Absolutely. Here's what we proposed,' and he just refused to do it," Zets said.
Fithen also claimed that his supervisor, Deputy Chief Ken Bell, told the U.S. Army National Guard that the officer was incompetent and dishonest and would soon be terminated.
"I'm confident that Deputy Chief Bell did not say anything that was defamatory or false in any way," Zets said.
The lawsuit also alleged that Fithen became the target of a sham investigation by the police department shortly after his wife posed for Playboy, Kocot reported.
Fithen claimed that he received harassing phone calls when he was on family medical leave and claimed Bell repeatedly asked him for an autographed copy of his wife's photos in Playboy. The city flatly denied the accusation.
"Deputy Chief Bell never asked for a copy of that issue (and) never asked for it to be personally autographed," Zets said. "In fact, Deputy Chief Bell has never even seen that issue of that magazine."
Fithen claimed that the city and the police department have created a humiliating and intolerable work environment.
Fithen did not want to talk to 10TV News because of a police department regulation that says employees will not appear on television if it undermines the integrity of the division.
Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for additional information.
