GALVESTON - A former executive assistant to five chiefs of police is taking the city to court.

Gracie Espinosa was fired last year after her brother, Frank Espinosa, was arrested on federal drug charges. Former police Chief Kim O. Schoolcraft in her letter of dismissal cited the appearance of impropriety and the sensitivity of materials that pass through the chief's office.

"She was not a player in one bit of it," said Mark Midani, Espinosa's attorney.

Press accounts of the arrest and Espinosa's placement on administrative leave undermined her standing in the community and made finding another job difficult, according to the petition.

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