Washington County manager lawsuit moved to federal court 11%
By Judith Meyer11%
7/30/2026, 11:36:56 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 15 faulty reasoning types, including Self-Serving Bias, Appeal to Authority, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 22.3% saturation with 183 hits. Analysis detected 793 faulty-reasoning hits from 820 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 26.6% and a BS Rank of 11% (20,123 of 22,405 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 89.80% of the article peer group.
Washington County Manager Renée Gray filed a lawsuit against Washington County and Commissioners David Burns and Billy Howard alleging wrongful firing, and interference with her state and due process rights, on July 13.
She alleged that commissioners acted with malice to conceal their own wrongdoing.”
Contributed photo; Maine Monitor composite.
MACHIAS — The lawsuit filed by Washington County Manager Renée Gray against the county and two of its commissioners has been moved to federal court, which has jurisdiction over assertions that Gray’s constitutional rights to due process were violated.
On July 9, Gray was terminated following an executive session of the Washington County Commission without being given cause for dismissal.
She filed her suit days later , along with a request for a temporary restraining order seeking reversal of her firing.
According to court documents, she filed the request for the restraining order because there was no scheduled commission meeting between the date of her termination and her final day at work during which she could seek resolution.
A hearing on the temporary restraining order, which sought to reinstate Gray in her position as manager, was scheduled in Washington County Superior Court for Thursday, July 30.
But, on Tuesday, the defendants — Washington County and Commissioners David Burns and Billy Howard — filed a notice of removal with the U.S.
District Court, requesting the case be moved under federal jurisdiction “by virtue of Plaintiff’s due process claims under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution,” noting that the federal court has jurisdiction over Gray’s claims made in state court.
On Wednesday, Washington County Superior Court Justice Patrick Larson filed an order in Washington County Superior Court granting the defendants’ request to move the case, effectively ending the state case and moving all claims and hearings to federal court.
Gray filed the lawsuit against Washington County and Commissioners Burns and Howard alleging wrongful firing, and interference with her state and due process rights, on July 13.
Days later the court issued a temporary restraining order after finding that the defendants intended to interfere with her rights by not giving her a written explanation of the cause of her firing, which is required by state law, or giving Gray an opportunity for a public hearing.
In her lawsuit, Gray alleged that commissioners acted with malice to silence her “to conceal their own wrongdoing.”
Commissioner Courtney Hammond, who is not individually named in the lawsuit, opposed the termination and has publicly supported Gray.
State law contains rules for terminating municipal and county managers and administrators, which include notice of termination, a statement for cause of termination, and a public hearing to hear from commissioners and the employee before termination is effective.
In the complaint, Gray’s attorney, Jeffrey Davidson, asserted that the termination is null and void because the commission did not follow the required procedure.
In the 11-page complaint, Gray said that Burns and Howard conspired to deprive her of her rights because “she was aware of certain acts of Commissioners Burns and Howard which amount to potential civil and criminal acts that they did not wish for the public to know, which could be discussed in a public termination meeting.”
She also asserted that the two commissioners have “violated public hearing and records laws on numerous occasions, committed financial mismanagement of the County of Washington and directed sexually discriminatory and derogatory language toward her and other females in county government.”
And, she asserted that the county is attempting to silence her because she is cooperating with the attorney general’s office investigation into financial management in Washington County, and is aware of “several acts that may constitute criminal violations of the law committed by Washington County through the acts of its commissioners and others,” which affords her whistle-blower status.
According to federal court records, Chief Judge Lance Walker had ordered the parties to propose an expedited briefing schedule on the state’s temporary restraining order by the end of the day on Thursday.
By early afternoon, the parties had agreed that the temporary restraining order would remain in effect for now, unless one of the parties to the case requested otherwise.
That means that Gray will remain out on paid leave during court proceedings.
Burns, Howard and the county have requested a jury trial in this case.
Gray is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting the county from terminating her employment, any and all lost future wages, reasonable damages for emotional distress and defamation, and attorneys fees.
The county, along with Burns and Howard in their official capacity, are being represented by attorneys Peter T.
Marchesi and Michael Lichtenstein of Wheeler & Arey in Waterville.
Commissioners Burns and Howard, who are also being sued in their individual capacities beyond their commission duties, are being represented by attorneys Bradford Pattershall and Cecilia Sheilds-Auble at Norman, Hanson & Detroy.
Messages to Gray’s attorney, Davidson, for comment were not returned.
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