The week is still young and already another controversy is brewing at city hall, though this one may not carry the gusto of its predecessor.
As we reported early this morning, City Manager Wayne Cauthen is being sued, along with the city, by two former budget analysts who claim they were dismissed from their jobs because of their age and their race. The two women are caucasion. The city manager is African American.
This story has only just begun to take shape, so one can only speculate as to how much attention it will garner in the local media.
The other lawsuit being watched closely by those who cover city hall involves the Mayor and former staffer Ruth Bates. This case also involves discrimination and has been highly publicized since it surfaced quite some time ago.
What is interesting about these two lawsuits has to do with the form of government under which city hall does business. It is a city manager form of government, and while Mayor Funkhouser’s job is quite important, it is Mr. Cauthen who, when push comes to shove, has the most authority within that building.
That being said, you would think a discrimination lawsuit against a higher ranking official might trump a lawsuit against the mayor.
It will be interesting to see how my colleagues in the press cover the two cases as they go forward.