Deputy Omaha City Attorney Michelle Peters has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the city of Omaha and Mayor Jean Stothert discriminated against her on the basis of her sex when the Mayor appointed Matt Kuhse to be the city attorney in October 2021.Read the lawsuit here.Peters alleges the city changed a job posting so that Kuhse would be qualified for the position left vacant when City Attorney Paul Kratz retired in December 2020.In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Peters contends human resources director Deb Sander had a role in changing the “Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” of the city attorney position.The lawsuit cites an example where a requirement of “knowledge of city ordinances” was changed to “knowledge or the ability to learn” city ordinances. Another requirement allegedly was changed from “ability to present and argue cases in court” to “ability to supervise and evaluate presentations and arguments in court.”Human Resources Director Deb Sander is also named in the lawsuit.Peters’ lawsuit further alleges Kuhse was named interim city attorney in January 2021 to provide him with necessary experience prior to his appointment in October 2021.”When Mr. Kuhse first stepped into the interim city attorney position, he told Ms. Peters and her co-worker Bernard in den Bosch, ‘You’ll have to help me out because I don’t know what I’m doing,'” the lawsuit alleges.Peters filed a complaint over Kuhse’s hiring with the Omaha Personnel Board in 2022 and discrimination complaints with the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.The lawsuit says Peters twice applied for the city attorney position. Once in January 2021 and again in July after the city had removed the job posting and then published it a second time.The suit states Peters was interviewed in September 2021 by an “all-male panel” which included Stothert’s Chiefs of Staff Tom Warren and Keith Station, as well as Stothert’s friend and campaign contributor John Fullencamp and OPD labor relations director Steve Kerrigan.Peters’ attorneys say after the initial interview, Peters ranked first of all candidates for the city attorney position.Peters interviewed a second time in September 2021 with Stothert and four others, but said she was later told she did not get the job because of her performance in the second interview.”According to Mayor Stothert, she did not want Ms. Peters for the position because Ms. Peters allegedly failed to make eye contact with Mayor Stothert during the personal interview,” the lawsuit alleges.The lawsuit insists Peters did make eye contact with the Mayor during the interview.Peters has worked in the city’s legal department for 26 years and has served as a deputy city attorney since 2015. In that role, she has represented the city when former police Capt. Kathy Belcastro-Gonzalez successfully sued the city in a federal discrimination case. The lawsuit alleges the city of Omaha’s practice of hiring for interim roles has a disproportionately adverse impact on women, saying over the last 10 years in the City Law Department, each of six provisional appointees has been a white male.The lawsuit seeks unspecified general and special damages, including back pay, front pay, loss of earning capacity and loss of reputation, as well as compensatory and punitive damages and attorney and expert fees.A spokesperson for Stothert says an outside firm has been hired because the case involves the city attorney’s office. A statement from the mayor is expected on Thursday afternoon.Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
Deputy Omaha City Attorney Michelle Peters has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the city of Omaha and Mayor Jean Stothert discriminated against her on the basis of her sex when the Mayor appointed Matt Kuhse to be the city attorney in October 2021.
Read the lawsuit here.
Peters alleges the city changed a job posting so that Kuhse would be qualified for the position left vacant when City Attorney Paul Kratz retired in December 2020.
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, Peters contends human resources director Deb Sander had a role in changing the “Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” of the city attorney position.
The lawsuit cites an example where a requirement of “knowledge of city ordinances” was changed to “knowledge or the ability to learn” city ordinances. Another requirement allegedly was changed from “ability to present and argue cases in court” to “ability to supervise and evaluate presentations and arguments in court.”
Human Resources Director Deb Sander is also named in the lawsuit.
Peters’ lawsuit further alleges Kuhse was named interim city attorney in January 2021 to provide him with necessary experience prior to his appointment in October 2021.
“When Mr. Kuhse first stepped into the interim city attorney position, he told Ms. Peters and her co-worker Bernard in den Bosch, ‘You’ll have to help me out because I don’t know what I’m doing,'” the lawsuit alleges.
Peters filed a complaint over Kuhse’s hiring with the Omaha Personnel Board in 2022 and discrimination complaints with the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The lawsuit says Peters twice applied for the city attorney position. Once in January 2021 and again in July after the city had removed the job posting and then published it a second time.
The suit states Peters was interviewed in September 2021 by an “all-male panel” which included Stothert’s Chiefs of Staff Tom Warren and Keith Station, as well as Stothert’s friend and campaign contributor John Fullencamp and OPD labor relations director Steve Kerrigan.
Peters’ attorneys say after the initial interview, Peters ranked first of all candidates for the city attorney position.
Peters interviewed a second time in September 2021 with Stothert and four others, but said she was later told she did not get the job because of her performance in the second interview.
“According to Mayor Stothert, she did not want Ms. Peters for the position because Ms. Peters allegedly failed to make eye contact with Mayor Stothert during the personal interview,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit insists Peters did make eye contact with the Mayor during the interview.
Peters has worked in the city’s legal department for 26 years and has served as a deputy city attorney since 2015. In that role, she has represented the city when former police Capt. Kathy Belcastro-Gonzalez successfully sued the city in a federal discrimination case.
The lawsuit alleges the city of Omaha’s practice of hiring for interim roles has a disproportionately adverse impact on women, saying over the last 10 years in the City Law Department, each of six provisional appointees has been a white male.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified general and special damages, including back pay, front pay, loss of earning capacity and loss of reputation, as well as compensatory and punitive damages and attorney and expert fees.
A spokesperson for Stothert says an outside firm has been hired because the case involves the city attorney’s office. A statement from the mayor is expected on Thursday afternoon.
Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
