Laurence Hammack

A former finance official for the city of Roanoke is claiming that she was forced to work while on medical leave, the latest twist in a contentious dispute with city hall.

Amelia Merchant’s lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, accuses the city of retaliating against her for requesting time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. She asserts the city demoted her and created “intolerable working conditions” that eventually forced her to step down.

Many of Merchant’s allegations mirror those made in an earlier lawsuit, brought in Roanoke Circuit Court in January , alleging that she was pushed out for making complaints of wrongdoing, in violation of a state law protecting whistleblowers.

That case was voluntarily withdrawn in August.

The city hir

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