ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A former City of Allentown employee is suing the city, alleging Mayor Matt Tuerk fired him in retaliation for cooperating with an investigation into allegations of racial and ethnic discrimination within city government.
The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday, was brought by John Ferry, who worked for the city from 2018 until his firing in late 2025.
Ferry is accusing the city of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The lawsuit comes as Allentown continues to face legal and political fallout from allegations of discrimination within city government.
According to the complaint, Ferry was hired by Allentown in October 2018 as an HR coordinator. He later served as a risk claims analyst, interim HR director and, ultimately, risk and safety manager.
The lawsuit says that during the first two years of Tuerk’s administration, multiple city employees raised complaints involving racial and ethnic hostility in the workplace.
In September 2023, City Council unanimously voted to authorize an outside investigation into those complaints.
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Council later voted 6-1 in June 2024 to hire former FBI agent Scott Curtis to conduct the investigation. Council authorized spending up to $300,000 on the probe.
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Ferry says he cooperated with Curtis as required under city policy.
The complaint alleges Tuerk opposed Curtis conducting the investigation and argued that the contract with Curtis was invalid.
That dispute eventually resulted in a lawsuit filed by City Council against Tuerk in September 2024.
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Council sought to enforce its agreement with Curtis and prevent what it described as efforts to obstruct the investigation.
The council voted to suspend the Curtis investigation in December 2024.
The council then authorized a law firm to continue the work Curtis had started a year later.
According to the lawsuit, Tuerk later reached an agreement with Curtis under which Curtis would be paid for his work but would turn over materials generated during the investigation.
The lawsuit alleges Ferry was called to a meeting in September 2025 with attorneys David Macmain and Tricia Ambrose.
Ferry says the attorneys questioned him about his cooperation with Curtis’ investigation.
The complaint alleges that Tuerk had maintained a list of employees he wanted to fire during this time and that Ferry’s name was on it.
About two months after the meeting, Ferry says he was summoned to Tuerk’s office, where the mayor and the two attorneys were present.
According to the lawsuit, Ferry was fired without an explanation.
The complaint claims Tuerk’s treatment of Ferry was a significant change from the mayor’s earlier view of him.
In July 2024, according to the lawsuit, Tuerk asked Ferry to serve as interim HR director.
Ferry says he reluctantly accepted the position and later declined Tuerk’s offer to permanently take the Cabinet-level job to instead return to his risk management position.
The lawsuit alleges Ferry’s termination was retaliation for his cooperation with the discrimination investigation.
He is seeking lost wages and benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress, attorneys’ fees and other damages, according to the lawsuit.
Ferry’s case is not the first federal lawsuit to emerge over alleged discrimination within Allentown city government.
In November 2024, Tawanna L. Whitehead filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Allentown. Her complaint also referenced allegations of racial and ethnic discrimination within city government and the investigation authorized by City Council.
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That lawsuit was filed amid the escalating dispute between City Council and the Tuerk administration over the outside investigation.
Ferry is requesting a jury trial. The case remains pending.