WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- A Superior Court judge has upheld Woonsocket in the 2010 resignation of its highway superintendent, rejecting an effort by his union to get the resignation rescinded.
Superior Court Judge Bennett R. Gallo ruled that when the employee, Robert Harnois, agreed to leave his city job in the spring of 2010, he surrendered his right to contest the decision.
The city had initiated firing proceedings against Harnois in early 2010, but allowed him to resign instead as part of an overall contract agreement that spring. But in the fall, his union filed a grievance to overturn his departure, claiming he'd made the decision under duress.
But Gallo ruled that Harnois' decision was made knowingly and issued an order permanently stopping any arbitration of his appeal.