Former SEPTA attorney sues, saying she was improperly fired

A former high-ranking attorney for SEPTA has filed suit against the transit agency in U.S. District Court, alleging that she was improperly fired.

Eileen Giordano Katz, of Philadelphia, was deputy general counsel for SEPTA from 2000 to 2012.

She was removed from her duties in September 2011, though she continued to draw her $146,848 salary until her official termination a year later.

Last year, SEPTA's new chief lawyer, James Jordan, said changes in the legal department were part of a "rethinking" of its management because of complaints from staff about low morale and favoritism.

Katz filed suit on Monday, seeking unspecified monetary damages, contending that her constitutional rights were violated, and that she was defamed by a SEPTA official.

Gaetan J. Alfano, an attorney hired by SEPTA to handle the case, said, "Her claims are baseless, and we look forward to defending the matter in court."