CHARLESTON – On the eve of oral arguments, the state Court denied a former candidate’s motion to intervene in the case regarding the legality of the appointment to fill a House of Delegates vacancy from Wayne County.
In the February 8 motion, the court also allowed petitioner Jeff Maynard, the chairman of the Wayne County Republican Executive Committee, to file a reply to a response despite a filed opposition from Gov. Jim Justice’s office and the state Republican Party. The motion also allowed Jason Stephens, the candidate who hoped to intervene in the case as a party, to file an amicus brief.
HUNTINGTON A retired employee has sued the Wayne County Board of Education and others, saying he was wrongfully accused of obstructing an investigation into and taking party in a criminal conspiracy regarding theft of board property.
David Eugene Sammons filed the complaint February 1 in U.S. District Court against the board, Superintendent Tod Alexander, the Wayne County Commission, Wayne County Sheriff Rick Thompson, Deputy Sheriff Harry Sowards and Howard Meddings. He also says several of the defendants were guilty of obstructing the investigation.
All of the parties also are central to a related civil lawsuit filed last year by two other former board employees who say they were prosecuted to intimidate, embarrass and harm their reputation and credibility and to prevent Katrina and James Reeves from keeping their jobs.
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HUNTINGTON A former employee says Wayne Nursing & Rehabilitation Center discriminated against him and caused him to resign from his employment.
Randall Fetty began working for the nursing home in 2016 as a maintenance supervisor and suffered a stroke on Feb. 27, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Fetty claims he applied for and was approved for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave and used that leave over several months. He was told on June 1 that he needed to supply a return to work release from the doctor who had certified his FMLA application, but that doctor was out of town and without that signature, he was unable to return to work.
WAYNE â A former candidate is seeking legal action against the Wayne County Republican Executive Committee, claiming actions to replace former Del. Derrick Evans violated the law.
Jason Stephens, a former Republican candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates for the 19th District, is asking the West Virginia Supreme Court to stop the âimproper and illegalâ replacement of Evans, according to a prepared statement from Stephens.
Stephens claims that after the Wayne County committee violated procedures to replace Evans â who resigned after he was charged with illegally entering the U.S. Capitol with a mob of Donald Trump supporters Jan. 6 â the West Virginia State Republican Executive Committee intervened to correct the situation, but ultimately ended up violating protocol as well.
HUNTINGTON A woman says the Wayne County Commission refused to enforce mask-wearing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, forcing her to use unpaid leave and eventually losing her job.
Patricia Romans was a clerk for the Wayne County Commission who suffered from COPD, according to a December 10 complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Romans claims she also has several other health problems and she requested to work from home when Gov. Jim Justice issued a stay-at-home order for all non-essential workers in March. She claims the commission did not enforce masks and did not respond to her request to work from home.