Ex-Town Manager's Lawsuit Against Stoughton Dismissed

STOUGHTON, MA — A Norfolk Superior Court Judge has ruled against former Town Manager Michael Hartman in his lawsuit against the town.

Hartman's complaint against the town and last year's pre-recall edition of the board of selectmen was dismissed Wednesday, according to Norfolk Superior Court online case records.

Hartman, who lost his job July 1, 2017 when is contract wasn't renewed, claimed that the Stoughton Town Charter allowed him to remain as town manager until four selectmen voted to discharge him. Board members who supported not renewing Hartman contract and town attorneys said in the past that Hartman's six-month notice that his contract wasn't renewed was sufficient.

The decision comes months after the departure of Hartman kickstarted recall efforts against former selectmen David Sousa, Peter Brown, and Robert Cohn The three, who infamously shouted their way through the appointment of Town Accountant William Roe as interim town manager and then former selectman Stephen Anastos last summer, were removed from the board during a recall election in November.

Hartman came to Stoughton in 2012 and was told by the selectmen in Dec. 2016 that his contract would not be renewed.

Image Credit: Dan Libon