01-06-2025
Lawsuit filed against Cleveland Heights and mayor's wife: I-Team
[WATCH: Previous coverage, in the video player above, from the FOX 8 I-team.]
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) -– A former Cleveland Heights employee is suing the City of Cleveland Heights and the mayor's wife.
Atty. Sean Sobel, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Patrick Costigan, who worked as a special assistant to Mayor Kahlil Seren. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Costigan states in the suit that the mayor's wife, Natalie McDaniel, who is not a city employee, was acting as his supervisor and made antisemitic remarks.
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'Seren has publicly referred to McDaniel as the 'First Lady' of Cleveland Heights, and acknowledged that she acts as his counsel and advisor,' the lawsuit states. 'McDaniel has been personally involved in official Cleveland Heights business, including sitting in on numerous committee meetings and job interviews for Cleveland Heights employees and consultants. Costigan was specifically ordered by Mayor Seren to follow all directives given to him by McDaniel as if they were coming directly from the Mayor. '
The FOX 8 I-Team reached out to Cleveland Heights officials to discuss the lawsuit but have not yet heard back.
'Costigan identifies as an ethnic Jew,' the suit states. 'Costigan, on multiple occasions, discussed his Jewish heritage with McDaniel, and she was fully aware that he identified as an ethnic Jew. McDaniel subjected Costigan to countless anti-Semitic remarks, orally and in writing, directed at Cleveland Heights elected officials, employees, and even a resident. McDaniel made a comment to Costigan, while using what can be described as a stereotypical New York Jewish accent, that 'black people don't grow up with generational wealth and things like a Jewish accountant,' when discussing new state legislation that would charge interested parties for police body camera footage. McDaniel made numerous comments about City Council's desire to recruit a 'Jewish candidate' to fill an open council seat, and also referred to now-council member Jim Posch multiple times as the 'Jewish candidate' the majority of council wanted.'
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The mayor has denied the allegations and has said his wife's remarks were taken out of context and some were altered. The mayor also alleged that Costigan made the allegations after he refused an offer from Costigan to settle prior to a lawsuit being filed.
'The frequency and severity of these anti-Semitic and homophobic comments created a hostile work environment for Costigan and gave him no choice but to seek medical leave from the City,' the suit further states. 'On February 5, 2025, Costigan corresponded with Dan Horrigan, who was the City Administrator at the time, and cited a personal matter with McDaniel as contributing to his health issues and necessitating medical leave. After the City did nothing to follow up with the issues that Costigan referenced with McDaniel, the City terminated Costigan's employment on March 13, 2025.'
Costigan has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
'Not only did McDaniel make anti-Semitic statements to Costigan, but she also subjected him to grossly derogatory comments towards the LGBTQ community, of which Costigan is a member,' the suit further stated.
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Costigan is asking a judge to order the city make several changes including to 'institute policies to safeguard against further discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or identity, age, or any other protected class' and to 'certify that non-employees are not permitted to conduct official city business or be given unsupervised access to areas of Cleveland Heights City Hall that are reserved only for Cleveland Heights employees or elected officials.'
Security video obtained by the I-Team through a public records request shows Mayor Kahlil Seren enter the Cleveland Heights Law Department office early in the morning on Thursday, April 3, for about four minutes. Then, also in the afternoon on Saturday, April 5, you see the mayor go in for about two minutes. City hall was closed both times. The mayor appeared to let himself into the office both times, even though he had said during an April 2 Cleveland Heights Council meeting that he does not have access to get inside the Law Department.
James Bates, a Cleveland Heights resident, said he wants to know why the Mayor went inside the Law Department when the office was closed. He added that he believes, due to all the recent issues, the mayor should resign.
The I-Team also asked for the body camera video of an interaction the Mayor's wife had with Cleveland Heights police officers inside City Hall on December 6. The Law Department has declined to release the video.
Meanwhile, some city residents have started taking steps to recall the mayor. About a dozen residents started circulating a petition and collecting signatures.
Seren, who is up for reelection in the fall, has pulled petitions to run for reelection.
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