Fired 911 dispatcher’s suit shifted to federal court

She claims retaliation for whistleblowing

A lawsuit in which a former Allegheny County 911 dispatcher claims she was fired because she complained about another dispatcher sleeping on the job has been moved to federal court.

Maureen Beaumont originally sued Allegheny County Emergency Services in June in Common Pleas Court.

The case was transferred Friday to U. S. District Court because it involves constitutional claims of retaliation.

Ms. Beaumont was fired in January after the 911 center said she harassed another dispatcher. She claimed that the real reason was that she had reported the woman to her supervisors for sleeping on the job when she should have been taking calls, which she said created a risk to the public.

In April an arbitrator ruled that Ms. Beaumont had been improperly fired and ordered the 911 center to reinstate her, according to her complaint, but her lawsuit will still proceed in U. S. District Court.

Ms. Beaumont is suing on counts of retaliation in violation of the First Amendment and the state Whistleblower Act.

Ms. Beaumont was hired in 2015. In September 2018 she complained about the other dispatcher sleeping and in November complained again that the woman was being hostile to other employees.

Shortly after the second complaint, she was called into a meeting in which she was told the other dispatcher had accused her of going through her personal property and stealing items in October 2018.

Ms. Beaumont denied the accusation but was suspended pending termination. She said in the suit that the real reason the woman accused her was because of the complaints about the sleeping and hostility.

She said 13 witnesses reported that they didn’t see any wrongdoing by Ms. Beaumont on the date in question and the 911 center produced no video evidence, even though there are cameras in the dispatch room where she was assigned.

She also told her union representative that she didn’t work with the other dispatcher on the day in question, after which she said the 911 center altered the date of the reported wrongdoing.

At a second hearing in December 2018, Ms. Beaumont was told that the other dispatcher said she had gone through her notebook. She said that was a lie, too, also motivated by her prior complaints.

Ms. Beaumont was fired Jan. 8 but won her job back through arbitration a few months later. She is demanding compensatory damages for loss of income and loss of her 401( k) contributions during her suspension and termination, among other costs.

“[ The 911 center] had no adequate justification for its improper, unwarranted and unlawful actions,” her suit says.

The county does not comment on litigation.