Building inspector's wrongful termination claim dismissed

Robinson Township in Ottawa County fired its mechanical inspector, Phil Forner, after it decided to contract with an outside inspection agency.  The decision to go outside was almost certainly influenced by complaints it received about Forner--who owned his own heating and cooling service--having a conflict of interest, and by e-mails and other public comments made by Forner criticizing the actions of the Township Board. The Court of Appeals noted, however, that these other influences were legitimate and not pretextual, and therefore Forner's discharge was not retaliatory or wrongful.