Rhode Island DOT Employee Files Retaliation Lawsuit Over Pension Settlement Concerns

In a lawsuit filed last month, Robert Tassoni, a long-serving employee of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), claims that he is being retaliated against for speaking out about the agency’s handling of a pension settlement. Tassoni, who serves as a highway maintenance field operations superintendent, accuses RIDOT officials, including Chief of Staff John Igliozzi, Norman Marzano, and Glenn Cabral, of violating his First Amendment rights.

Tassoni had raised concerns regarding RIDOT’s insufficient contributions to the retirement fund of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 1033, a matter that led to RIDOT owing over $4 million in back payments to the pension fund.

The lawsuit alleges that, after Tassoni continued to criticize the agency’s actions and advocate for other employees, his supervisors retaliated by denying him overtime, giving him extra documentation requests, and moving him out of his office into an inappropriate space without proper equipment.

Additionally, the lawsuit highlights an incident where a subordinate of Tassoni allegedly harassed and verbally attacked him without facing any consequences, further contributing to the hostile work environment.

Tassoni seeks compensatory damages and aims to end the retaliation, hoping the lawsuit will bring attention to the toxic workplace culture at RIDOT. Despite the ongoing legal action, he remains committed to addressing the pension issues at the department. RIDOT has not commented on the lawsuit, and the state’s Attorney General’s office is representing the state in the case.

 

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