KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A former Belton city manager has filed a lawsuit against current Belton Mayor Norman Larkey, alleging her firing was retaliation.
Alexa Barton, who served as city manager from June 1, 2017, to Oct. 12, 2021, filed the lawsuit in the Cass County Circuit Court.
In the lawsuit, Barton alleges she was fired because she previously planned to fire Larkey as the Belton Fire Chief.
The Belton City Council voted to fire Larkey after an independent attorney investigated complaints made against him from the fire department.
After finding out he was going to get fired, Larkey decided to resign on May 31, 2019. Larkey then ran for mayor and was later elected in April 2021.
During his mayoral campaign, the lawsuit alleges Larkey publicly said he would fire Barton once he became mayor. According to the suit, Larkey even made these comments in a live debate.
Once Larkey took office, Barton alleges he would not conduct city business with her. Instead, he allegedly contacted city department heads directly.
The lawsuit also accuses Larkey of calling Barton and other city council members "c***s" on several occasions.
In October 2021, the Belton City Council voted to terminate Barton.
Barton has sued Larkey one count of retaliation and one count of sex discrimination in violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act.
KSHB 41 reached out to Larkey for comment on the lawsuit and will update this story if a response is received.
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