A seventh plaintiff joined a lawsuit against the City of Casselberry and the former Casselberry police chief.
On Thursday morning, a Seminole County Civil Court judge decided to allow the plaintiff’s attorneys to amend the lawsuit to add another former city employee.
The former Casselberry police officer is joining the ongoing lawsuit against the City of Casselberry and its former police chief, Bill McNeil. The former chief is accused of sending explicit texts to at least one former employee, and harassing other employees.
But the newest plaintiff’s complaints are also against the interim police chief.
In a draft of the amended lawsuit already filed in court, Roselyn Martinez-Eck claims she was fired in June 2015 after she questioned actions by interim police chief David Del Rosso.
Del Rosso took over the department after McNeil resigned amid allegations in late 2014. Martinez-Eck accuses Del Rosso of racial name-calling while she was on duty. She also alleges her questioning of Del Rosso’s actions led to her firing.
Attorneys for the city argued in court Thursday the lawsuit should be dismissed because claims in it are unfounded.
The judge is giving the plaintiff’s attorneys 10 days to file their amended lawsuit with the new plaintiff. Attorneys for the city and former chief Bill McNeil will then have a chance to file responses to the amended lawsuit.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs have also filed a lawsuit against the City of Casselberry in federal court.
We reached out to Casselberry city attorneys for comment on Thursday. They would not comment except to say they are moving forward with the case. They told a judge it has already cost about $100,000 so far to defend the city against the lawsuits.