Scott City officials seek change of venue in employment discrimination case

Scott City officials, citing pretrial publicity, want a change of venue in an employment discrimination case filed by the city�s former parks director.

Cape Girardeau attorney Al Spradling III filed a motion Monday in Scott County Circuit Court on behalf of the city citing �extensive prelitigation publicity� on the part of the news media concerning the lawsuit.

Spradling requested in the motion the case be moved out of the 33rd judicial circuit, which encompasses Scott and Mississippi counties, to �an appropriate circuit where there is little, if no, pretrial publicity concerning this case.�

Former parks director Phyllis Spinks filed the lawsuit last month against former mayor Ron Cummins and the city. The suit alleges Cummins and the city engaged in gender, age and disability discrimination when Spinks was terminated from her job Nov. 30, 2016.

In a court document filed Monday, the city denies there was �any violation� of the Missouri Human Rights Act concerning age, gender or disability discrimination.

Her attorneys, John �J.P.� and Laura Clubb, wrote in the suit that Spinks was fired despite having �an exemplary employment record and received regular raises and positive work evaluations.�

After Cummins was elected mayor in April 2016, he informed the Scott City Park Board members �they needed to fire Ms. Spinks, based on her age and length of service,� the lawsuit states.

Park board members refused to fire Spinks, so Cummins replaced the board members, according to the suit.

Cummins and the city then fired Spinks and hired Skylar Cobb, a man who was younger and �less qualified� to serve as parks director, the suit states.

Cummins resigned as mayor in August amid an investigation into allegations he abused his position.

The lawsuit seeks a judgment of more than $25,000 against each defendant for emotional stress and the same sum for lost wages and benefits, as well as punitive damages.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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