from the AP wire-

AP-MO--Fired Director-Lawsuit

Former KC aviation official sues city over firing


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Former Kansas City aviation department
director Russ Widmar is suing the city, saying his 2003 firing was
racially motivated.
Widmar claims City Manager Wayne Cauthen fired him to appease
black leaders who were angry about his handling of a news and gift
shop contract at Kansas City International Airport in 2001.
In the suit, Widmar said black leaders complained about a
contract he had recommended that replaced a minority subtenant who
had been at the airport for ten years with another minority
subtenant.
City council members approved the contract. But the lawsuit says
some city leaders afterward called Widmar a racist.
Besides asking for unspecified amounts of pay and other
compensation, Widmar is asking for a public hearing so he can clear
his name.
City officials had no comment.
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com