A former assistant finance director in Dedham has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit charging that he was fired in retaliation for reporting and refusing to participate in accounting irregularities.

The town had not responded to the lawsuit as of May 31, according to a spokesman at Norfolk Superior Court, and officials did not return calls asking for comment.

In the civil lawsuit, William Ralph alleges that his now-deceased supervisor and the previous town manager “routinely allowed the alteration of Dedham’s accounting records when they did not reconcile to hide the imbalance.’’ At one point, the town could not account for $400,000, the suit alleges.

Ralph contends he was punished for objecting to the practice, and to what he considered poor administration of an energy-savings contract with Siemens.

The lawsuit says that Ralph’s supervisor, Mariellen Murphy, spread false rumors about his performance, blamed him for her mistakes, and prevented him from getting promotions or a new job.

Ralph worked for the town from 2010 through June 2015, when his position was eliminated and he was fired, according to the lawsuit.

The suit, which was filed in April, asks for a jury trial and for Ralph’s reinstatement to his old job or an equivalent position, as well as compensation for lost wages and emotional distress.

Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.