Fired clerk wins key round at Supreme Court

HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan Supreme Court won't intervene in a dispute involving a city, its former clerk and possibly thousands of dollars in back pay. The court last week turned down an appeal from Holland, which fired clerk Jennifer French in 2006 in a controversy over property taxes and her principle residence. The state appeals court in 2013 reinstated an arbitrator's ruling in favor of French. The court found she was a good employee who shouldn't have been dismissed for something unrelated to her job. Holland had accused her of dishonesty. Holland could be on the hook for back pay and benefits, which were worth $90,000 a year when French was fired in 2006. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman was the only justice who wanted to hear Holland's appeal. Published: Thu, Feb 13, 2014