Rochester City Councilmember's Lawsuit is Moving to Federal Court

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Rochester City Councilmember Molly Dennis is moving her lawsuit to federal court.

A notice of the change was filed Monday in Olmsted County Court, where the 6th Ward Councilmember had previously filed a discrimination lawsuit against the City of Rochester, Mayor Kim Norton, and fellow Councilmember Patrick Keane. The lawsuit claimed Dennis faced discrimination by city staff and the two other elected officials because of her disability,

Mayor Kim Norton - City of Rochester

The lawsuit alleged a 4-1 censure vote against Dennis a year ago was prompted by her behaviors directly caused by and related to her disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The lawsuit also claimed Mayor Norton made a public statement to intentionally defame and injure Dennis, who is seeking more than $800,000 in damages.

Photo provided by Patrick Keane

The censure resolution mentioned "elevated and unproductive behaviors" during and after a City Council study session in February. It also alleged that Dennis engaged in intimidating physical behaviors and escalated physical behaviors during times of disagreement, and made ongoing inflammatory and unfounded allegations against other City Council members and City staff.

Kim David/TSM

Dennis has accused the city of failing to accommodate her under the Public Services provisions of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. An outside investigator hired by the city to look into her allegations last year found that Dennis's claims were unsubstantiated.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial in Olmsted County Court this fall.

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See How Minnesota's License Plates Have Evolved Since 1909

Nothing beats a nostalgia trip. It's always fun to see how things looked the year you were born and how much they've changed throughout the years.

Minnesota's license plates have certainly gone through many evolutions. The first "license plate" was actually a rectangular black leather automobile license tag with a brass number '1' on the center front. It was issued by the State Boiler Inspector in the State of Minnesota in 1903.

The first Minnesota license plate as we know it was issued in 1909. Let's take a look at that license plate and then all the plates that followed, along with some interesting Wikipedia knowledge as we go.

We've certainly come a long way, but it's also interesting that the now popular blackout plates have been around before.

Gallery Credit: David Drew