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Fighting City Hall in Pennsylvania, the Retaliation Mecca of Abusive Politicians

jar546

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LEWISBURG — A former employee has filed a lawsuit claiming that the Greenbrier County Commission retaliated against him for complaining about his pay and for not supporting former commission President Betty Crookshanks’ bid for re-election.

In a civil suit filed in Greenbrier Circuit Court May 14, Tony Hinkle maintains that when he was employed as a county building inspector and code official he was promised a salary of $45,000 per year, with a $2,000 raise kicking in after he passed two exams relating to the code official position.

Hinkle says the county commission reneged on the promised raise and, after he complained about not receiving the pay bump, another person was hired for the code official post in his stead at a higher salary. When it was discovered the other man could not be licensed as a code official, commissioners again offered the job to Hinkle, but with a cut in pay, according to the suit.

The suit claims that the new employee was hired “in retaliation for (Hinkle’s) not supporting Commissioner Crookshanks’ election bid as well as retaliation for (Hinkle’s) complaint that his pay had not been adjusted in accordance with his agreement” with the county commission.

The suit names both the commission and Crookshanks, who lost to Woody Hanna in the May 2012 primary election, as defendants.

Hinkle accuses the defendants of breach of public policy, retaliatory discharge, violation of West Virginia wage and payment laws and breach of contract.

The suit asks the court to award damages including lost wages, loss of retirement, damages for humiliation, embarrassment, emotional and mental distress and loss of personal dignity. It also asks the court specifically to assess punitive damages against Crookshanks alone.

Currently employed in a similar capacity with the city of Lewisburg, Hinkle also asks to be restored to his county post.

Neither Crookshanks nor current commission President Karen Lobban immediately responded to telephone messages Monday seeking comment on the suit.

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com
 
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