US EditionJudge Rules Cannabis Chair Shannon O’Brien Was Wrongly Fired, Can Be Reinstated
Judge Robert Gordon ruled that Shannon O'Brien's termination lacked legal basis as her conduct did not meet the 'gross misconduct' standard, ordering her reinstatement with back pay.
- Judge Robert Gordon ruled Tuesday that Treasurer Deborah Goldberg unlawfully fired Shannon O'Brien, ordering her immediate reinstatement, back pay, and service through August 31, 2027.
- Goldberg suspended O'Brien in September 2023 and fired her in September 2024 after two outside investigations and about 19 hours of private meetings, citing allegations of racially insensitive remarks and a hostile work environment involving Shawn Collins, former CCC executive director.
- After reviewing nearly 3,000 pages, Judge Robert Gordon found no 'gross misconduct' or inability to discharge duties, noting, `The question before the court is not whether the Plaintiff was abrasive, boorish, inconsiderate, ill-tempered, imprudent and/or otherwise unreasonable ˜ either in actuality or in the reasonable estimation of the Treasurer.'
- O'Brien's team said she plans to return and her attorney, Joe Baerlein, is pleased to have her good name restored, while a spokesperson for Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said the office is reviewing the ruling.
- In June, the Legislature voted to overhaul the Cannabis Control Commission and eliminate the Treasurer's appointment power; MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale criticized the $2 million legal fight as wasteful and called for Treasurer Goldberg's resignation.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Ousted Mass. cannabis chair reinstated after court overturns firing
She’s back! Massachusetts judge orders reinstatement, back pay for ousted pot boss O’Brien
Two years after she was unceremoniously removed from her position atop the body overseeing the state’s booming marijuana industry, Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien will return to her post following a judge’s order. O’Brien was suddenly suspended from her role by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg in September of 2023 and fired a year later over allegations she’d “committed gross misconduct and demonstrated she is unable to discharge t…
O'Brien plans to return to CCC after judge orders her reinstatement
BOSTON (SHNS) - The evidence that Treasurer Deborah Goldberg relied on "does not remotely suffice" to support her firing of Shannon O'Brien from the Cannabis Control Commission, a judge said Tuesday as he ordered O'Brien immediately reinstated as chairwoman of the agency. Superior Court Judge Robert Gordon picked apart Goldberg's rationale for the September 2023 suspension and September 2024 firing of O'Brien, herself a former state treasurer an…
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