Jacob Drouin, a former Franklin police officer, is suing the city and its police department for wrongful termination.
The suit, filed in Merrimack Superior Court on March 4, contends that the city punished Drouin after he filed a grievance against police leadership in 2021, as part of a “coordinated campaign of retaliation and discrimination” that “systematically destroyed” his career.
A lengthy health condition culminated in Drouin, then the president of the police union, being terminated in March 2023, according to the suit, a move his lawyers said was in retaliation for being a whistleblower.
“Jacob Drouin was a dedicated police officer who raised legitimate concerns about a culture of retaliation and intimidation within the Franklin Police Department,” Cassandra Moran, an attorney with Rath, Young and Pignatelli representing Drouin, wrote in a statement. “Shortly after leading a union vote of no confidence against city leadership, he was terminated under what he alleges are bad-faith and pretextual circumstances. Mr. Drouin is looking forward to proving these claims in court.”
The city of Franklin, through the city manager’s office, said it did not wish to provide comment. Police Chief Daniel Poirier did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Former Police Chief David Goldstin was in charge of the department when Drouin was terminated and is named as a defendant in the suit.
Drouin joined the Franklin police force in February 2016 and three years later suffered a herniated disk in his back and sciatica during his community duties. On July 23, 2022, Drouin aggravated his back injury while on bike patrol, which worsened the next day, according to the suit.
One year prior, Drouin looked for clarification from former city manager Judie Milner about Franklin’s COVID-19 policies. Poirier, who was a lieutenant at the time, saw this as insubordination, according to the complaint. From then on, Drouin “had a target painted on his back.”
Drouin received treatment in the days after his injury and had workers’ compensation forms and disability notes filed by medical professionals. The city filed a claim with insurance agency Primex, which Drouin met with for an interview.
In mid-August, Drouin went on a vacation with his family in Woodstock where Primex conducted surveillance on him to validate his compensation claims.
Video clips played at a city personnel advisory board hearing in October 2023 showed Drouin carrying bikes and a plastic Adirondack chair. He was also seen riding a bike down the street and playing basketball with his son.
The lawsuit says Drouin was “moving in a less-than-fluid manner, with a visible limp and obvious discomfort.”
Milner said during the hearing that the footage proved Drouin could do numerous tasks while on vacation that he claimed he could not perform at work.
Drouin returned from vacation on Aug. 15, 2022, and performed physical therapy while reporting the same symptoms he experienced before his trip. Primex denied his workers’ compensation claim that same day.
An MRI at the end of August confirmed herniation and his doctor cleared him for light-duty work with restrictions. The complaint alleged that because he was repeatedly put on assignments that went beyond the scope of his medically-approved activities, Drouin developed a permanent disability.
Drouin was also a vocal part of the police’s union, Local 214. He scheduled a chapter meeting for Dec. 17, 2022, to call for a vote of no-confidence for city and police leadership. Former chief Goldstein, Milner and Poirier learned of the meeting and “sought to silence” Drouin by placing him on administrative leave the day before the vote, according to the complaint.
Around Jan. 23, 2023, while he was still on leave, Drouin was voted president of Local 214. The union voted no confidence in department leadership on Feb. 10.
Drouin was officially terminated in March 2023. Police and city administration denied Drouin a chance to meet or hold a pre-termination meeting, going against the union’s collective bargaining agreement, the lawsuit states.
Along with wrongful termination, Drouin filed nine other claims, including violation of First Amendment and civil rights, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civl conspiracy. He is seeking unspecified compensatory damages.