Former Monroe County Assessor’s Office employee Lisa Jenee Trimble has filed a lawsuit, alleging the office has violated state law by manipulating housing and rental market rates.
According to the suit filed April 30, Trimble also claims she was bullied by county assessor Judith Sharp after she left the assessor’s office and accepted a job in the auditor’s office last October. She claims to have filed harassment complaints with the county, which she says did not result in any action.
Trimble said she also filed reports with the Department of Local Government Finance regarding the alleged state law violations.
In addition to Sharp, the lawsuit also names Julie Thomas, Jody Madeira, and Lee Jones of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, county attorney Dave Schilling, county human resources director Elizabeth Sensenstein, assistant county human resources director Seth Elgar, county employee services and the county legal department.
Trimble gave a public statement to the Monroe County Commissioners last month.
“I choose to publicly stand up for myself, my family, my friends, my neighbors, and for all the residents of my county and ask that you do the same and open an investigation into the reported illegal activity of the assessor's office,” Trimble said.
She requested a jury trial and compensation for money spent on research, medical expenses, and legal fees.
“I'm pleading the Indiana whistleblower laws in my defense, and I ask that I do not receive more retaliation for exercising my local, state, and federally protected right as a resident of Monroe County,” she said.
Pamela Schneeman, of Carmel-based Clark Johnson & Knight, is representing the defendants.
Schneeman was granted an extension Tuesday to research the facts of the case and to respond to the allegations. The deadline to respond to Trimble’s lawsuit is now June 26.
WFIU/WTIU contacted the defendants for a response. Some either didn’t respond or said they could not respond due to pending litigation.
Claims made in a lawsuit only give one side of the case.
Read more: Conclusion nears in Rokita/Monroe County Sheriff’s Office immigration lawsuit