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Animal Shelter Employees Sue Town, Alleging 'Cronyism' And Retribution

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- It seems that politics, not humanity, runs a Long Island animal shelter.

Current and former employees of  the Hempstead Animal Shelter have filed a lawsuit against the town supervisor and shelter director Michael Pastore, alleging it's a "haven for cronyism" where animals -- referred to as inventory -- suffer.

Video showing employees joking about killing a kitten prompted change at the Town of Hempstead animal shelter several years ago.

Professionals were brought in with a plan to turn the kill-shelter into an adoption center.

Now, five years later, the changes that were made appear to have taken a step in the wrong direction.

"All the progress we've made has been systematically dismantled," according to Wendy Giris from the shelter.

Shelter employees and advocates say reform was short lived. Programs that were put in place to encourage adoption are now gone. In their place, they claim, are indiscriminate euthanizing and neglect.

"Animals are being denied medical, being denied rescue opportunity," animal advocate Diane Madden tells CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff. "These animals are languishing or they're killed."

Advocates claim a children's reading program hailed in a news conference months ago doesn't formally exist, alleging it's "essentially a PR stunt."

Ultimately, the employees and advocates behind the lawsuit claim that animals were killed in retaliation against outspoken workers.

"This is supposed to be a place where animals can get a good home," said the plaintiff's attorney Jonathan Tand. "Instead they're being used as weapons of political retribution."

The Town of Hempstead will not comment on the lawsuit, but did let CBS2 cameras into the shelter, where animals appeared to be in good health.

CBS2 reports that complaints against the town supervisor did prompt an investigation several months ago. The results only found fault with the people now suing the town.

The lawsuit -- filed today -- claims the workers' freedom of speech rights are being violated with the alleged on-the-job retaliation for speaking out.

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