Solon Hires Law Firm To Handle Prasser Lawsuit

The city of Solon has hired a private law firm to handle Karen Prasser's lawsuit against the city and Mayor Susan Drucker.

The law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs LLP will serve as special legal counsel for the Prasser lawsuit. City Council authorized the hiring of the firm last week.

A letter from the law firm to Solon Law Director Tom Lobe indicates that the firm will charge Solon $250 per hour for work by parters, $195 per hour for work from associates and $95 per hour for work from the firm's paralegals.

"Thank you for selecting us as your lawyers," reads the letter from Barry Y. Freeman, a partner in the firm. "We will justify the confidence you have shown in us."

Prasser's lawsuit, filed Feb. 27 in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, alleges that Prasser was subjected to age discrimination, defamation and other charges against Drucker and other city employees, including Human Resources Director Tom Cornhoff and Finance Director Dennis Kennedy.

Prasser is represented by Caryn Groedel, a Solon attorney who handles employment law.

Prasser resigned from her job as SCA director last year. The arts center and Prasser has since become subject of an investigation by the city after officials announced that "financial irregularities" were found at the arts center.

City officials have not commented on that investigation and no findings have been released.

But public records, including correspondence between Prasser and administration officials, have shed some light on the city's allegations against Prasser, which include mismanagement of employee timecards, improper use of city property and improper financial mingling between the city-run arts center and the private Friends of the Solon Center for the Arts group.

Drucker and the city are currently dealing with another employment-based lawsuit. Former mayor's secretary Sally Deitrick filed a lawsuit against the city and mayor for wrongful termination, and that lawsuit is still pending. The city has also hired an outside lawfirm to handle that case.