Wife of Riverside city manager files legal claim against the city he runs

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

The wife of Riverside’s top municipal executive has filed a claim against the city he runs, marking another unusual chapter in a political drama that has roiled the Inland Empire’s largest population center.Susan Freeman, the wife of City Manager Mike Futrell, filed the claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, on Wednesday.Freeman alleges the city of Riverside violated her rights by investigating her without due process in retaliation for her criticism of public officials.

That came after the Riverside City Council sent Freeman a letter alleging she harassed municipal employees, which she denies.“For anyone who looks carefully at the facts, my claim raises serious questions about whether I became the victim of retaliatory conduct and whether official power was allegedly used to distract from or avoid accountability for serious issues inside City Hall,” Freeman said in a videotaped statement uploaded to YouTube.City officials confirmed receipt of the claim and said it would be handled through the city’s normal review process.“We take our obligation to protect the constitutional rights of all residents seriously,” said Steven Robillard, Riverside mayor pro tem, in a statement.“At the same time, claims against the City should be evaluated based on the facts and the law through the established process.”The intrigue comes as Riverside officials face criticism over the city’s handling of an internal investigation into allegations that two of its senior code enforcement officers engaged in physical altercations with street vendors and improperly seized their property — and that supervisors retaliated against a whistleblower who reported the conduct.

California Hundreds of letters, emails and texts have shocked residents with accusations of toxic work conditions and “civic indecency” at Riverside City Hall.Members of several social justice organizations spoke at a Cit...