PLAINFIELD-- A Plainfield man who found a plaque honoring veterans in a dumpster during the construction of Plainfield High School, is threatening to sue the town and several of its officials after he was fired from his job with a subcontractor on the school project.
 
John Kennerson of 17 Hope Road alleges in letters sent by his lawyer to the town he was fired because of his complaints about mold in the ductwork of the school building and because of publicity surrounding his discovery of the discarded plaque.
 
The plaque honored nine Plainfield High School graduates who died in World War II.
 
In a letter to First Selectman Donald Gladding, Kennerson's lawyer, Jacques J. Parenteau, said Kennerson's firing is a violation of his civil rights. He said Kennerson wants the town to take action to have him reinstated to his job with Select Energy Inc., a subcontractor on the project. He claims the town and local officials are already liable for lost wages, attorneys fees and other compensatory damages.
 
Parenteau said Kennerson is now unemployed, has two small children and is expecting a third child.
 
In a separate letter to Town Clerk Helen Francis Coombs, Parenteau said Kennerson intends to sue the town, the Board of Education and School Building Committee Chairman Paul Delmonico for retaliating against Kennerson for exercising his First Amendment rights.
 
He said Kennerson began working for Select Energy in April 2004. The company installed plumbing, heating and cooling systems in the school. "As a resident and taxpayer of Plainfield, it was important to Mr. Kennerson that the work performed at the high school be done properly," Parenteau wrote in his letter to Gladding.
 
Kennerson found the memorial plaque in July and later brought it to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Plainfield, where it is now displayed.
 
On Aug. 15, the letter contends, Kennerson noticed mold on some ducts and saw some insulators wiping the mold off the ducts. The letter contends the insulators told Kennerson that Turner Construction Co., the general contractor, had told them to wipe off the mold.
 
Kennerson went to see Plainfield High School Principal Susan Rourke about the mold. She told him Mystic Air Consultants had been contacted about the matter.
 
On Aug. 22, a story about the plaque discovery was broadcast on WVIT television and a letter to the editor in the Bulletin also spoke to the subject. The letter claims Delmonico referred to Kennerson as a "troublemaker" during a discussion the same day with Joe Hammond, project manager for Turner Construction. Later that day, Hammond notified Select Energy Inc. that the Board of Education "had specifically requested Mr. Kennerson's employment be terminated," the letter states.
 
In his letter, Hammond said Kennerson interrupted a private meeting between Rourke and one of her staff and contended Kennerson's discussion with the principal violated contract policies for interaction between workers and the "occupants," and will not be tolerated. Hammond wrote: "We expect removal to occur tomorrow and be for the life of the project," according to the lawyer's letter to Gladding.
 
Gladding said Tuesday night Kennerson came to see him about the situation about two weeks ago.
 
"I'm still investigating," Gladding said. "I hope it's not a whistleblower or retaliation situation."
 
Gladding said he referred the letters to Town Attorney Nicholas Kepple.
 
Gladding said the plaque was presented to the school years ago and, in recent years, had apparently been kept in storage.
 
Delmonico declined to comment and neither Board of Education Chairman Kevin Cunningham nor former chairwoman Virginia Sampietro could be reached for comment.
 

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