A Vancouver engineer is suing Clark County’s Community Development Department, alleging that county staff discriminated against her and forced her firm to jump through unnecessary hoops to gain approval of building plans.
Anne Anderson, principal engineer of Anderson Structural Engineering, alleges in her lawsuit that the firm lost money, time and resources due to county staff’s treatment of her and her firm over the course of several years.
The suit was filed Nov. 10 in Clark County Superior Court.
The suit, which names the county’s Lead Plans Examiner Lou Malattia and Chief Building Official James Muir among the defendants, charges the county with defamation, interfering with contractual relations and prospective business expectancy and violating the state civil rights act, according to court documents.
Anderson’s specific allegations include:
• Community Development discriminated against Anderson because she’s a woman.
• Community Development accused Anderson of “Playing God” with her engineering stamp on documents.
• The firm was required to add unnecessary framing to single-family homes before receiving county approval.