A former Cook County sheriff’s assistant chief who says he was fired because of his age has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Sheriff Tom Dart.

       Dart’s office disputed the claim, saying the official was fired for leaving a work assignment without permission.

       Ronald Gaines, who served as assistant chief of the electronic monitoring unit, filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday against the county, Dart and the unit’s supervisor Carmen Ruffin. The complaint alleges Dart’s administration violated the U.S.’s age discrimination protections when dismissing Gaines from his post this March.

       “It was a slap in the face,” Gaines, 69, said in a news conference on Tuesday. “I take it as a personal attack against me and my integrity. I take it a personal attack against my family who all stand in law enforcement.”

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       Gaines alleges that in August 2019, Ruffin, the executive director of community corrections, stated, “words to the effect, that (Gaines) was too old to be working at CCSO,” according to the suit. She also pointed out the pension he stands to collect from Chicago police, his previous employer, and asked why he didn’t retire, Gaines alleges.

       Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office has denied age factored into the firing of Ronald Gaines. Dart is shown in a 2018 photo. (Phil Velasquez, Chicago Tribune)

       According to the suit, Ruffin told Gaines “she wanted to move younger officers up into higher positions” in electronic monitoring.

       Gaines then took a medical leave for an on-duty shoulder injury. But before he returned, two deputies visited him on March 12 of this year and asked for his credentials, informing him that he was terminated, according to the suit.

       “I can’t explain how that affected my family,” Gaines said. “You’re told after giving years of service that you will be without the (health insurance) coverage for a sick wife that I had, or for myself, within a matter of weeks. Not knowing the reasoning behind it.”

       After his inquiries to various sheriff’s office staffers about his firing went unanswered, Gaines learned via a Freedom of Information Act request that Ruffin had allegedly filed an internal complaint against him for visiting a doctor’s office during working hours. That complaint was made one week after her conversation with him in August 2019, according to the suit.

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       In his suit, Gaines rebuts that he “in his entire career, never abused benefit and medical time, came to work nearly every day and was the farthest thing from an attendance problem.”

       A statement released by a sheriff’s spokesperson in response to the lawsuit, though, said Gaines “was terminated because he was found to have left his work assignment for several hours without permission or notification.”

       The statement goes on to say that “during an internal investigation into his actions, Gaines refused to cooperate with the investigation, ignored requests to be interviewed, and did not return to work. It was determined he had left his work assignment on other occasions as well. The sheriff’s office denies that the investigation into Gaines’ conduct and his subsequent termination had anything to do with his age.”

       Gaines’ lawsuit also lists seven other sheriff’s office employees who allegedly suffered age discrimination.

       ayin@chicagotribune.com

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