By EMS1 Staff
ST. CROIX COUNTY, Wis. — The former interim director of a Wisconsin EMS agency is suing the city that fired him over his social media posts.
Joe Elkin, former interim director of St. Croix EMS, is alleging that the city of Hudson committed due process violations when they fired him in 2018, according to RiverTowns.net.
Elkin was fired after a news report revealed he had made posts referencing racial stereotypes, sex acts, drug use and the Holocaust through a Twitter profile called “The Real Joe Elkin.”
“The council found that your conduct with respect to the tweets violated the standard of conduct established for city officers and employees,” City Administrator Devin Willi said in a letter to Elkin.
The lawsuit claims a city ordinance was not followed in the firing process and seeks more than $200,000 in damages and lost wages, stating that Elkin has been unable to get another job in the field since his firing. The suit also requests that Elkin’s termination be rescinded.
Another lawsuit filed by Elkin in November seeks monetary penalties of $25-$300 per violation from Hudson Mayor Rich O’Conner and six other city council members.
In that lawsuit, Elkin claims he was given no notice of two closed council meetings where city leaders discussed disciplinary action against him and contends that those meetings violated due process under Wisconsin law.