(Red Oak) A former city administrator has filed a lawsuit alleging sex discrimination, unequal pay and retaliation against the City of Red Oak, claiming she was forced to resign after months of biased treatment by city leaders.
The plaintiff, Kyra Smith, was hired May 1, 2023, to oversee city operations, manage staff and implement City Council policies. The filing states she lived in Red Oak as required for the position while her husband remained in Kansas for employment.
According to the complaint, Smith was paid less than male city administrators in comparable Iowa communities and was denied both a six-month raise typically given to employees and a promised cost-of-living increase. The lawsuit alleges a council member told Smith’s husband she would not receive a raise because she already earned too much “for a woman.”
The lawsuit describes a March 2024 incident in which Smith joined a virtual preconstruction conference for a highway project and discovered other invitees had gathered in person without notifying her. Smith alleges she raised concerns that the exclusion was discriminatory. She claims city officials later reprimanded her for complaining, told her to apologize and warned that opposing discrimination would worsen her situation.
Smith further alleges she was excluded from discussions about a new paid time off policy but was publicly associated with the decision, undermining her authority as city administrator.
The filing states that on April 15, 2024, Smith was forced to resign rather than be terminated. It also alleges that shortly afterward the city hired a male wastewater and water superintendent at a salary $20,000 higher than Smith’s, despite that role reporting to the city administrator.
The lawsuit names former Mayor Shawnna Silvius and council members Tim Fridolph and Brian Bills among defendants accused of participating in the alleged discriminatory actions.
Smith brings three claims under the Iowa Civil Rights Act: sex discrimination, wage discrimination and retaliation. She seeks damages for lost wages and emotional distress, attorney’s fees and other relief, and has requested a jury trial.
