Mark Lauzier (right) huddles with his attorney, Isidro Garcia, during his wrongful dismissal trial that ended Dec. 16. Photo from courtroom Zoom feed
By Jane Smith
Former Delray Beach City Manager Mark Lauzier lost his wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the city in a jury trial that ended Dec. 16.
Lauzier was seeking $248,659 in severance for five months of pay and benefits, seven months of paid leave and 12 months of health insurance benefits.
He also sought the fees for his attorney, Isidro Garcia.
In his closing statement made the morning of Dec. 16, Garcia said, “Lauzier didn’t willfully violate anything…. He crossed the wrong person—the mayor—and embarrassed her publicly.”
The city’s hired counsel, Brett Schneider, countered that Lauzier was fired for cause. Lauzier rewrote the city’s personnel manual so that it did not cover his direct reports. He did not update the city charter as was required or post the changes.
Schneider called Garcia’s attempts to implicate the mayor “red herrings” because it was Commissioner Ryan Boylston who initiated the termination process that led to Lauzier’s firing on March 1, 2019.
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