By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — After three years of filings, motions and rulings, a lawsuit filed by the former clinical director of the Westport-Weston Health District against the agency has been dismissed in federal court.

A federal judge in New Haven recently granted a motion for summary judgment against Louis D’Onofrio’s complaint versus Health Director Mark Cooper and the health district, which has since been renamed the Aspetuck Health District.

The motion was made in January and the ruling was recently handed down by Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer.

“The court has reviewed all of the papers filed in conjunction with the Motion. On July 30, the Court entered an Order granting the defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment, dismissing the plaintiff’s claim,” it read.

In his suit filed in August 2021, D’Onofrio made complaints about working conditions, which he said included rodent droppings in the aged building off Bayberry Lane and how he was treated after inquiring about some $70,000 in missing funds.

He subsequently ran as the selectman candidate on the Libertarian Party ticket in fall 2021, using his candidacy to press his concerns about the health district.

In his federal suit he alleged his right to free speech, under the U.S. Constitution and state law, was violated when he was retaliated against (he said he was denied a bonus) and, in effect, fired because he quit because of working conditions.

D’Onofrio referred comment on the recent court ruling to his lawyer, Josephine S. Miller of Danbury.

Reached Friday, Miller said she was still going over the decision and could not comment on whether it might be appealed.

Cooper, who has not commented on the lawsuit in the past, did not return a call from the Westport Journal.

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years.