GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The lawsuit filed against Ottawa County by a former county administrator has been tossed out by a federal judge.
John Gibbs sued the county after his firing in February, claiming the county board of commissioners retaliated against him for criticizing the county's legal team.
Today a federal judge ruled Gibbs did not have protection under the First Amendment when acting as the county administrator.
Gibbs' lawsuit also claimed violations of Michigan's whistleblower protection act and his employment agreement. The judge ruled those allegations must be brought in state court.
The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning he cannot re-file the claims in federal court. Gibbs could file a new suit in state court, the judge noted.
Gibbs was hired in January 2023 when members of the Ottawa Impact group were elected en mass to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners.
13 months later, commissioners voted to fire Gibbs on February 29.
The relationship between the board and Gibbs began to publicly sour at the start of 2024.
Gibbs sent a letter in January emphasizing the terms of his contract and his job performance. In response the board hired a separate law firm to review the situation.
Attorneys for Gibbs told commissioners in February saying he'd resign if paid $630,000. Gibbs was put on administrative leave a day after our report on that letter aired.
A letter sent to Gibbs' attorney by the legal counsel for Ottawa County detailed the allegations that led to being put on leave. Those included threats of violence, disparaging comments, and bugging his own office. That letter was published on the Facebook page for Joe Moss.
One day later, Gibbs responded to the allegations, calling them false or misleading.
It would less than a week before the board fired him.
On March 1 Gibbs sat down with FOX 17 in a tell-all interview on his time as Ottawa County Administrator.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
