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Fired executive director sues Le Sueur city, HRA over claims of discrimination

The former executive director of the Le Sueur Housing and Redevelopment Authority is suing the city and claiming that her May 15, 2024, firing violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Melissa Huntington, through her attorney Adam N. Froehlich, of Mankato, says she disclosed several mental health diagnoses, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder and recurrent major depressive disorder to board members after receiving a negative performance review and the board did not take adequate steps to provide accommodations. The complaint was filed June 29 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Following the review, Huntington formally disclosed her diagnoses and told the authority board she needed reasonable accommodations in order to meet the board’s expectations, the lawsuit states. According to the complaint, Huntington’s evaluation by the board, which was conducted on Nov. 15, 2023, showed she needed to improve her “overall management performance,” “communications/relationship with the HRA board,” “staff supervision and overall performance of HRA staff,” “financial management and project management” and “achievement of goals set by the HRA board.” The review contained several comments, including that Huntington was “unprepared,” “relied on calling other (executive directors) and HUD personnel to complete tasks that she should be able