Kathleen Waterbury appealed her dismissal and won, permitting her to return to work as the HR director of East Providence, Rhode Island. Christopher Blazejewski, a lawyer and state representative who hired as an impartial hearing officer, found that “having failed to meet the due process requirements adopted by the city in its charter and revised ordinances, Waterbury’s suspension is void.”

A federal judge this summer ruled that the city manager illegally fired Waterbury, as previously reported by PHRM. Waterbury had accused the city manager, former acting city manager and fire chief of sexual harassment and discrimination, and after filing a compliant with the state's Commission of Human Resources and complaining, she alleged she was fired.