CARY - A member of Cary's zoning compliance staff is suing the town and the planning department's second-in-command for alleged employee mistreatment.

Brent Reck, zoning compliance supervisor, said in a complaint filed Tuesday in Wake County Superior Court that associate planning director Ricky Barker, one of Reck's supervisors, created an abusive work environment and that mediocre performance reviews were "lacking factual basis."

The lawsuit claims that Barker made unreasonable demands, which caused Reck severe emotional distress and physical sickness.

"He felt unable to breathe when he came into Town Hall, and had to pull over on the way to work to vomit because of the stress he was under," Lisa Grafstein, Reck's lawyer, wrote in the complaint.

Barker did not immediately return calls for comment.

"We are saddened and disappointed by these allegations," Cary spokeswoman Susan Moran said in a written statement. "We will offer a clear and vigorous defense to the claims and welcome the court's review of the matter."

Reck has been an employee of the town since 2002.

In 2007, he was a finalist for the town's employee of the year award.

He was also named North Carolina Zoning Officer of the Year in 2008.

According to the complaint, Reck took his concerns up to town administrators this winter, but a filed grievance was dismissed this month. Reck has asked to be transferred to another position within the town.

In 2006, the town hired a consultant to address morale within the planning department.

Results from an internal department survey that year found 80 percent of staff said they felt valued by their boss.

The survey also found that 74 percent of staff said their co-workers complain about the department.

Most of the respondents said that communication in the department was a problem, and that the workload was unbalanced.

Sixteen percent thought the planning department was working at its full potential.

In an open section for staff to suggest improvements to the department, several surveyed wrote about Barker.

"Employees fear him, which leads to a sense of paranoia and widespread negative morale," one respondent wrote, adding: "Outside of work, he is a very nice guy!

"However his management style is not conducive to a happy department."