Ex-Employee Sues Flagler Beach for Whistleblower Complaint

Former Flagler Beach Facilities Director Bryan Moisao is suing the city alleging wrongful termination. His lawyer, Lake County-based Anthony Sabatini, announced the lawsuit last week. According to Moisao's suit, he believes he was fired in retaliation for raising whistleblower complaints to the Flagler Beach City Commission. He claims to have alerted the commissioners about 'massive waste of public funds, neglect of duty by city workers, and gross mismanagement'. Furthermore, Moisao alleges that City Manager Dale Martin fired him after becoming '[f]urious and humiliated' by the complaints. The plaintiffs cited Florida Statute § 112.3187, otherwise known as the 'Whistle-blower's Act'. This law forbids retaliatory action against public employees for raising a number of concerns, including the very complaints outlined by Moisao. Bryan Moisao was hired by the City of Flagler Beach on March 31, 2025. He says in the lawsuit that in May he reported misconduct and policy violations and reported them internally. On May 13 he says he reported them to his supervisor, City Engineer Bill Freeman, and then on June 27 to Human Resources Manager Liz Mathis. On July 2 Moisao reportedly wrote disciplinary action against an employee with Freeman's approval and had an in-person meeting that same day. On August 4 he says that the city's lift station was removed from his supervision and he was made to no longer be that employee's supervisor. Moisao then alleges that after raising concerns to Dale Martin and the City Commission, Martin scolded him for having involved the commissioners. He cited a September 26 employee evaluation that rated him as 'exceeding expectations', which occurred the same day he was let go from the city. Later, Moisao filed an administrative whistleblower complaint with the city which was dismissed. The Personnel Review Board concluded that the allegations in Moisao's complaints did not meet the harsh characterizations which he later outlined in his lawsuit. In November, Martin confirmed to the City Commission that Moisao had been released. He told commissioners that as Moisao was still within his probationary period, that he was not fired and that cause was not needed to warrant his dismissal.