December 12, 2020 By Jon King / jking@whmi.com
A federal lawsuit filed against the Village of Milford by a former employee has been settled out of court.
Michael Esson, the Villageâs former assistant public services director, filed suit in 2019 alleging violations of Michiganâs Whistleblower Protection Act, extortion, retaliation, racketeering, freedom of speech issues and violations of due process. Esson claimed he was fired after alerting village officials that former Public Services Director Robert Calley would only approve his vacation requests for side jobs in exchange for a portion of his earnings.
A State Police investigation determined the allegations were not credible. However, court records show that the case was dismissed on December 7th as, âthe parties have approved a proposed settlement.â Details on the terms of the settlement were not released and emails sent to Milford Village Manager Christian Wuerth and Esso