Lawsuits mount against Philadelphia Register of Wills John Sabatina
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After a year in office, Philadelphia Register of Wills John Sabatina Sr. faces a half-dozen lawsuits over allegations that he fired employees who didn't support him in the recent election, replacing them with loyalists.
The big picture: The Philly row office has been embroiled in legal disputes for years, with both Sabatina and his predecessor facing allegations they sought political retribution against employees.
- The city has already paid $400,000 in settlements with former employees of ex-Register of Wills Tracey Gordon. She was accused of retaliating against employees who didn't support her reelection efforts.
- Sabatina took over last year after defeating Gordon in the 2023 race.
Driving the news: Two former employees, Gerald Ashley and Samirah Bilal, sued the city and Sabatina in federal court last month, alleging they were terminated due to racial discrimination and political retribution.
- Four other ongoing cases have made similar allegations against Sabatina.
What they're saying: Ashley, who worked for the Register of Wills' Office, and Bilal, who worked for the Orphans' Court overseen by the office, allege that despite performing well at their jobs, they were fired last year because they declined to support Sabatina's campaign.
- They also allege that they were replaced by white employees who were "political supporters" of Sabatina.
- The lawsuits claim the new register of wills' actions violated their First Amendment rights.
The city and Sabatina's office declined Axios' request for comment.
Catch up quick: Five employees first filed suit against Sabatina last year, alleging he fired 19 employees after taking office and replaced them with white workers who are loyal to him.
- Former employees Ian Ewing and Mark Harrell filed lawsuits against Sabatina in October.
- And in November, former administrative deputy Stephanie Graham alleged she was fired for supporting Gordon's reelection.
- The city has settled four of five lawsuits that were brought against Gordon while she was in office. It hasn't reached a resolution with former clerk Nicholas Barone, per city law department spokesperson Ava Schwemler.
Zoom out: Government watchdogs and lawyers have called for reforms for Philly's row offices, saying the politically motivated turnover has been costly for taxpayers.
- "The same pattern continues," Timothy Creech, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, tells Axios. "This office is going to cause more waste, more political patronage, and more lawsuits when the political winds change."
What's next: Because the six cases against Sabatina involve similar claims, they've been consolidated and will go before the same judge, per a court order issued this month.
- The cases could still be tried individually. The consolidation is intended to streamline the evidence-sharing process.
- The judge hasn't yet set a timeline.