A former City Hall official filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to be commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events fired her in retaliation for agreeing to testify in a misconduct investigation.
Former First Deputy DCASE Commissioner Rosalyn Kimberly Grigsby is suing the city and Kenya Merritt, the mayor’s appointee to lead the department, under the Illinois Whistleblower Act following “a concerted campaign of professional isolation and the systematic stripping of her duties,” according to the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
Grigsby alleges that one week after she complained to the city’s Office of the Inspector General and Department of Human Resources, Merritt fired Grigsby, who was second-in-charge of DCASE. Merritt has led the city department on an interim basis since her predecessor Clinee Hedspeth resigned in November while facing allegations that she bullied staffers.
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A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon, while Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban said the city had not yet been served.
Johnson on Thursday announced he had made Merritt the permanent leader of the department, pending City Council approval.
“Her decades of experience supporting small businesses and neighborhood development, paired with her deep commitment to arts and culture, make her uniquely qualified to help our creative sector grow and thrive,” he said in a statement.
Grigsby declined to comment Friday. Her lawsuit includes allegations of mistreatment under Merritt, including her time cards not being approved, being iced out of meetings, her support staff and a new hire being blocked, a “mysterious” wiping of her personnel file, and the “forced signing of inapplicable city policies fabricated without proper authority.”
“Plaintiff was subjected to a pattern of conduct designed to marginalize her, strip her of her authority, and undermine her ability to perform her duties,” the suit says.
The accusation echoes allegations about the department’s work environment in formal complaints regarding Hedspeth last year, made by staffers who alleged they were gradually isolated and forced out.
Hedspeth has also signaled she may sue the city since she resigned amid pressure from Johnson’s top staff. Her attorney in December sent a record requesting the city preserve records for a “litigation hold,” according to emails obtained by the Tribune via records request.
Grigsby’s suit also alleges that on Feb. 19, two DCASE staffers told Grigsby an unidentified co-worker was under investigation by the city’s Department of Human Resources. Grigsby indicated to them that they had an obligation to testify on what they know of the alleged violations of the city’s ethics ordinance, per the suit. Later that afternoon, Merritt allegedly emailed Grigsby curtailing some of her duties and staff reports.
“This directive represented a drastic and unilateral reduction of Plaintiff’s authority and responsibilities as First Deputy Commissioner,” the suit says, with Merritt citing a “restructuring period.”
The next day, Grigsby filed a formal complaint with both human resources and the inspector general’s office, disclosing the “misconduct she had witnessed at DCASE.” She was fired a week later, on Feb. 27, the suit says.
Grigsby is seeking reinstatement to being first deputy commissioner of DCASE, back pay and compensation for attorneys’ fees and emotional distress from the firing.
Illinois law protects government whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting misconduct, a provision that has cost Chicago taxpayers before. Under Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city settled for $100,000 with two ex-staffers of City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin after they filed wrongful termination complaints.
Under Mayor Brandon Johnson, the fallout from high-profile firings and resignations has at times clouded over his office on the fifth floor. The mayor often responds to such controversies with, “I don’t discuss personnel issues” — though that hasn’t quelled criticism from allies and foes alike that his team struggles with managing personnel issues.
Ronnie Reese, Johnson’s first communications director, was fired in 2024 after multiple employees reported his alleged harassment and misogynistic and racist comments. Those staffers also complained that Johnson’s chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas did not move quickly enough to fire him after his behavior was flagged for months.
Johnson on Thursday abruptly fired his deputy commissioner for community safety, Garien Gatewood, whom he had previously credited with helping to achieve a large reduction in violent crime.