Royal Oak Businessman Suing City Over Injury Started Altercation

ROYAL OAK, MI — A Royal Oak businessman is suing the City of Royal Oak, its mayor and zoning board president after he was injured in an August shoving match outside an Elks club in Royal Oak.

Greg Stanalajczo, who has disagreed with Mayor Fournier over several agenda items including the city's decision to move the Royal Oak war memorial, claims the city officials "conspired to crash a private meeting" and assaulted him, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims that city officials knowingly disrupted a Royal Oakers 4 Accountability & Responsibility meeting at the Royal Oak Elks Lodge #34 on Aug. 7. RO4AR openly opposes the mayor’s plans to relocate the Royal Oak Veterans War Memorial.

The city officials were wearing body cameras and claimed to be filming in their “official capacities” as Royal Oak city officials, according to the lawsuit.

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Stanalajczo then allegedly saw Fournier and zoning board president Clyde Esbri harassing RO4AR member Erika Sykes while she was guarding the door, according to the lawsuit.

When Stanalajczo told Fournier and Esbri the meeting was private and for members only, Esbri then allegedly assaulted Stanalajczo. As Stanalajczo tried to defend himself, Esbri allegedly struck Stanalajczo again by slamming him into the door jam and wall injuring his shoulder, which required surgery, according to the lawsuit.

"Apparently Mayor Fournier and Chairman Esbri had nothing better to do than crash a private meeting," Stanalajczo's attroney Ven Johnson said. "They knew they shouldn’t be there, wore a body camera to record everything, and announced their presence as city officials. They knew exactly what they were doing and that a physical alternation was likely to occur."

"Their despicable conduct was designed to intimidate these citizens for having contrary views of the government," Johnson added. "Last I checked, the First Amendment still applies to freedom of speech, the right to congregate even to oppose the current government regime."

Royal Oak City Manager Paul J. Brake responded, "This is an allegation and we don’t agree with the plaintiff counsel’s characterization. We intend to vigorously defend against the accusation made at Mayor Fournier, Clyde Esbri and the City of Royal Oak."

The city then said it can't elaborate any further because this is ongoing litigation.

However, the city did turn the case over the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which found the altercation was started by Stanalajczo.

The Daily Tribune got a copy of the county sheriff’s investigation report, which describes how the scuffle began.

"Greg Stanalajczo came up to (Clyde) Esbri, and used his forearm in a pushing/shoving motion against Esbri," the report said. "The assault by Stanalajczo caused Esbri to become off balance and Esbri pushed Stanalajczo back."

The city's decision to move the Royal Oak war enraged several veterans groups, which led to protests. Ultimately, an Oakland County Circuit Court judge ruled this summer that the location of the memorial will be decided by city voters. Challenging Fournier for Royal Oak mayor is Tom Roth, who supports moving the war memorial back to its original location.