ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The city of Ferguson is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after one of its former employees took her own life. 

“She had just such a vibrant smile and she was a loving, caring compassionate person. That’s what I loved about her the most,” Corey Ryan said about his late wife, Anita. 

Anita Ryan died by suicide last May, leaving behind her husband and their two daughters.  

“We took several months of grief counseling together so they’re doing better but still obviously miss their mother every day,” Corey Ryan said. 

In a new wrongful death lawsuit, the Ryan family alleges the city of Ferguson was negligent in how it managed Anita. 

“The evidence is clear in terms of how the City of Ferguson and its agents conformed themselves to their policies practices and procedures related to managing their employees,” said attorney Joe Ott with the Ott Law Firm. 

In the lawsuit filed by Ott, it alleges, Anita Ryan filed an HR complaint against the finance director in early March 2024. 

It goes on to say on March 20, Ryan was suspended when the director indicated he thought she was stealing from the city. 

The lawsuit says the city did an audit and found no evidence of theft but the director kept insisting Ryan did it. Ryan was fired on March 28, allegedly causing her so much anguish that she took her own life. 

“We have a very real pain that was felt by her and that we believe was wholly caused by the negligence of the City of Ferguson,” Ott said. 

The director of finance mentioned in the lawsuit no longer works for the city. FOX 2 reached out to John Hampton, the city manager, but never heard back. 

On Friday, FOX 2 went to city hall at noon, but it was already closed for the day. FOX 2 also went to the fire department, where Hampton is the chief but still could not contact him. 

Ott says he hopes this case will eventually head to a jury.