A former City of Warrenton employee claims he was fired for criticizing the mayor and the city’s board of aldermen.The allegations are included in an age discrimination lawsuit that names the City of Warrenton and its director of operations, Terri Thorn, as defendants.Alvin Dale Avis, who worked in the city’s grounds/maintenance department, filed the suit in Warren County Circuit Court July 17.Avis alleges in the suit that he was retaliated against and eventually fired for criticizing the former mayor and the city’s board of aldermen regarding the city’s expenditures on certain projects and the wages of employees.D. Keith Henson, the attorney representing Warrenton declined to comment on the lawsuit.Avis worked for the city for three years from June 2009 through June 2012, according to the lawsuit.In April 2011, the suit alleges, Avis spoke with then Warrenton Mayor Greg Costello about city business and matters of public concern, including the city’s expenditures on projects and the wages of employees.Avis claims that shortly after speaking with the mayor, Thorn brought him into her office and accused him of “publicly speaking badly” of the mayor and the city’s board of aldermen. She informed him that it was not acceptable behavior and then demoted him from a supervisor to a worker classification.The suit claims that later that year Avis initiated discussions within his department regarding greater communication to improve efficiency which resulted in another meeting with Thorn where he alleges that Thorn warned him that his comments would not be tolerated by the city.According to the lawsuit, Avis was involved in another verbal confrontation with his supervisor in May 2012.He was suspended and later terminated on June 14.Avis alleges his First Amendment Rights were violated for speaking out publicly about city officials and that the city didn’t follow its own Discipline policy when they suspended and eventually fired him.He also claims that his age was a factor in the city’s decision to fire him.Matthew J. Fairless, the attorney representing Avis, also declined to comment on the specifics of the suit other than to say that he has been trying to work with the city on a resolution of the case, but so far there hasn’t been much progress.The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $75,000.City of Warrenton Logo Picture File