Eighty-six employees of the City of London filed a lawsuit in Laurel Circuit Court against an embattled London City Council. The council, already engaged in an appeal regarding their attempted removal of Mayor Randall Weddle, now faces another legal challenge after enacting several ordinances causing budget cuts and employee reduction.
The ordinances, the lawsuit alleges, severely restrict city services and jeopardize public safety. The employees claim the council passed these ordinances without any legitimate basis and merely in retaliation for the employees exercising protected constitutional rights.
The employees in the case cite the council’s animosity toward Mayor Randall Weddle, which resulted in a removal attempt, Mayor Weddle’s reinstatement, and an ongoing court battle, as the council’s reason for budget and staffing cuts. Several employees, who are members of the lawsuit, signed a Hostile Work Environment Complaint in September 2025, listing the strain of the council’s actions and political pressure from the council on their employment. Other employees in the lawsuit either spoke at city council meetings, voiced their concerns with proposed council action, attended Mayor Weddle’s removal hearing, or, according to the lawsuit, engaged in some protected activity which the council deemed support for Mayor Weddle.
Manchester attorney Jake Roberts and Emily M. Campbell, a London native who practices with Rowady Hendricks Law, PSC, in Winchester, filed the suit on behalf of the employees. “Any employee should be free to engage in protected activity, constitutionally or otherwise, without the fear of retaliation or reprisal,” Roberts said. He continued, “the law should apply equally to everyone, regardless of who you support politically.” Campbell noted her strong connection to the City of London. She said, “London has been my home my entire life. The employees of the city are the heartbeat of our community, and they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect.” She added, “the employees should not fear for the safety of their jobs and should be free to speak their minds and serve their community without fear of retaliation.”
Both attorneys for the employees agreed that the issue goes beyond the impact on employees and impacts public safety. Roberts said, “these changes have serious and identifiable public safety implications. Any time you unreasonably restrict law enforcement, the fire department, and public works—from sanitation to road crews—the people suffer. These are public servants; hurting them hurts the public.”
If they take effect, the employees say the ordinances will cut over $778,000 from the London Police Department, affect accreditation, and affect the department’s ability to effectively perform investigations. The London Fire Department, the employees allege, will lose twenty-four full and part-time employees. According to the lawsuit, the Public Works Department stands to lose up to twenty-two employees.
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