The City of Calgary has a lawsuit on its hands.

According to the Calgary Herald, the new Chief Planner Rollin Stanley will face questioning September 5th in a $640,000 lawsuit by terminated senior planning bureaucrat Stan Schwartzenberger.

In its statement of defence, the City confirms that Schwartzenberger, the longtime director of development and building approvals, was terminated without cause on June 12.

That was the second day at work for Stanley, although Schwartzenberger’s lawsuit claims the termination was in the works for two months.

The City defends itself in the court document against the ex-employee’s allegations that it breached his contract or that an e-mail about Schwartzenberger’s departure defamed him by not offering any gratitude or positive words about him.

The former senior official is seeking damages for defamation, wrongful dismissal and aggravated or punitive damages.