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Published Sunday, July 26, 2009 in Local
Subpoenas issued in Schlumper's suit against the county
By News Staff
The Newnan Times-Herald
The discovery process is in full swing in former Commissioner Leigh Schlumper's federal lawsuit against Coweta County, and the attorneys representing Coweta have sent out multiple subpoenas for testimony and documents.
Schlumper filed the lawsuit in February 2008, alleging she was unfairly deprived of her turn as chairman of the Coweta County Board of Commissioners because she's a woman. Schlumper also accuses former Commissioner Tim Higgins and Commissioner Tim Lassetter of slander and libel.
In March, Judge Jack Camp ruled against the county's motion to dismiss. Camp did dismiss equal protection claims against Lassetter, ruling that he was entitled to qualified immunity for voting to reappoint Higgins as chairman instead of voting for Schlumper. The rest of Schlumper's claims were allowed to go forward.
On July 6, Kelly Morrison and Benton Mathis, the Atlanta-based attorneys hired to represent Coweta in the suit, issued subpoenas to the Coweta County School District, the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta and the Coweta County Soccer Association.
On July 20, subpoenas were issued to Jim Lauzon of Newnan Utilities and Sarah Fay Campbell of The Times-Herald.
On July 24, the county's attorneys filed a notice to take Schlumper's deposition under cross-examination, on Aug. 6, to take the depositions of Jay Jones, Bobby Schlumper and Alan Cooper.
The school system has been asked to release the "complete file and records with regards to the employment records of Deborah Jones." The subpoena asks for information as varied as Mrs. Jones' health insurance policy and records of any injuries and disabilities to any e-mails or correspondence relating to Leigh Schlumper.
Deborah Jones is the wife of Jay Jones.
Schlumper alleges in her suit that Higgins and Lassetter "intentionally calculated to injure her" by spreading rumors that Schlumper and Jones were romantically involved.
Schlumper's attorney, Lee Parks, said in a May 2008 court filing that Lassetter and Higgins "flamed the rumors of adultery through the firehouse and to the local media."
Schlumper also received threatening letters and harassing phone calls, allegedly from firefighters or someone purporting to be a firefighter. Those threats were investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. According to the GBI file, Jones told investigators that he and his wife had also received harassing phone calls.
According to the original court filing, problems began in 2006 when Jones was promoted to the position of deputy chief of the Coweta County Fire Department instead of Todd Moore, a close friend of Lassetter. Schlumper alleged in the filing that Moore and other fire department employees told Lassetter Schlumper was having an affair with Jones, whom she has been friends with since high school.
The subpoenas sent to the YMCA and Newnan Utilities ask for documents relating to Schlumper's employment at both organizations. The documents asked for are nearly identical to those requested in the Jones subpoena.
The Coweta County Soccer Association was asked to produce the minutes of all association meetings held since 2000, and "any and all records relating to Leigh Schlumper."
Jim Lauzon is subpoenaed to testify about "any and all personal knowledge related to an alleged relationship between" Schlumper and Alan Cooper, former director of coaching at the soccer association.
Campbell was asked to name the anonymous source that provided her with copies of letters written by disgruntled firefighters. In Schlumper's suit, she alleged Tim Lassetter "encouraged and orchestrated the delivery of numerous written allegations, signed by Coweta County firefighters, to the local media, which claim that Schlumper is or was engaged in an adulterous relationship with Jones."
David Hudson, attorney for The Times-Herald, responded to the subpoena stating that The Times-Herald objects to the subpoena "because there has been no showing sufficient to overcome the reporter's privilege" under Georgia's shield law. "Until such time as your client can make a showing sufficient to overcome the privilege as required" by state law, "I hope you will confirm to me that your deposition subpoena is rescinded or held in abeyance."
Kelley Morrison responded saying that the subpoena for Campbell would be suspended "pending further developments in this case."
Commenting on this story has ended.
Georgia Law through local legislation calls for the chair to be elected by a majority of the commissioners - there is nothing that specifies it must rotate. Past commissioners said they would rotate and if that is what the vote of the majority of commissioners is, then it rotates. But one commission can not bind a future commission for to do so would illegally contravene state law. Politics is politics and the commission voted to have someone other than Leigh Schlumper as commissioner and tht is politics. Leigh knows that as well as anyone because there are people in this town who have have borne her poltical lashes on the back. As Mike Huckaby said after the Iowa primary, "if you can't stand the sight of your own blood, don't get in politics."
Posted by eugene pitts at 12:06 PM
I am pulling for you Leigh! They like to destroy people and their families. Remember the word "KARMA" it will come back too them watch and see. You don't destroy lives without getting paid back and it doesn't matter who you are. I hope they sleep well at night but only for now. Everybody makes mistakes those who are without sin let them cast the first stone. I guarantee you that wont happen. The evil will be dealt with accordingly!
Posted by ready for justice also at 1:36 AM
The chairmanship rotates, based on the vote of the commissioners. That's not sexist. She had been chairman in the past. And as for digging up dirt - the best defense is the truth. She had to know people would start asking questions about her.
Posted by ready for truth at 12:18 AM
Sounds as if HHHHMMMM hasn't changed much since high school either. Still an outcast that no one wants included. Then there's the popular, intellegent Miss Leigh. Go get 'em Leigh. Sue the pants off those good ole boys....
Posted by mark at 7:05 PM
It seems the commission wants to be the moral police. I cannot not beleive that in 2009 grown men would play these kinds of school yard games. You should be ashamed. Voters remember this and vote them all out! Elect all women.
Posted by Lisa at 6:59 PM
You are right on with your comment. I moved here for a job but never took into account that my wife (if she wanted to work locally) would lose over half her pay. Women get payed crap in this backwords county! Go get them Leigh, break up and expose this good ol' boys club. I'd like to see them all go to prison for corruption.
Posted by Fed up at 3:56 PM
This article proves that the county has no regard for women. The information they are gathering has nothing to do with the case but rather is trying destroy a person. I hope they can sleep. It is obvious they feed information to the paper. I haven't Mrs. Schlumper bash anyone.
Posted by Are you Kidding at 3:20 PM
Some things never do change. Like people who make comments about people they don't even know based on some rumor they heard.
Posted by Sick of the self righteous at 2:37 PM
She wasn't commissioner during the Starship debacle; she had nothing to do with it. Not that it would matter. I have heard around town that she had the same opinion as Rodney Brooks. What a shame for both of them.
Posted by Huh? at 12:56 PM
its comments like HMMMMMM that just show you how things like this happen..rumor get started very easily..
Posted by ready for justice at 10:31 AM
She blended in with those good ol boys, and the county is not sexist, because she has been chairman. She is just a person that they are tired of. She looks out for the rich people only.
Posted by DJ at 9:10 AM
I'm still waiting for the east Coweta beautification program to begin that Miss Schlumper promised when she was a commissioner. It seems that she forgot that east coweta extends beyond her subdivision cronies. She couldn't even extend the courtesy of replying to constituent's email instead sent them to the county manager for a reply. Chairman should be on merit--she got what she deserved. Time to move on.
Posted by ed pilszak at 1:51 AM
Seems that she hasn't changed much since high school...
Posted by Hmmm. at 10:26 PM
Clearly the county is trying to cover up the fact that this is a sexist county! Trust me! I have felt this too. I am just not brave enough to stand up to it.
Posted by Smart at 9:55 PM
The county is about to finally be exposed for the discriminatory good ol' boys they really are! You go get them Leigh!
Posted by ready for justice at 9:08 PM
Coweta County commissioners are voted in by voters. The chair position rotates from its membership on a calendar year. The commissioner serving in the chair position receives approximately $100 to $150 over their base salary. Commissioners having served 4 yr term receives 2.50% cola, six yr term receives 3.75% cola, serving two year receives 1.25% cola. I refer you to the Association County of Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for more detailed information.
Posted by Concerned Citizen at 7:37 PM
There is a group of folks that believes that Schlumper is behind the Starship debacle.
Posted by newnan at 7:08 PM
The law states the chairman will rotate on a 2 year term. The rules are subject to change as the board sees and votes to change to rules.
Posted by wifi at 4:47 PM
Why not combine Schlumper and Starship's lawsuit and maximize court time and sour grapes being mashed at the same time?
Posted by eugene pitts at 3:33 PM
No, the rules have called for a rotating chairmanship for over a decade. It has always rotated until this.
Posted by Dirk Diggler at 2:29 PM
The rules say the commissioners will elect their chairman. If they get to elect their chairman that means they get to decide for themselves each time. If another provision appears to deprive the electors of their choice, it is invalid on its face.
Posted by exasperated at 2:00 PM
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Apple Cart
7/28/2009
Link To This Comment
Time to upset the Good ol boy apple cart. Leigh, I hope you take those fools to the cleaners and exposed what biased and racial rednecks they really are. Then I hope you buy the buggest house on Main Street and paint it pink with all your winnings. You go girl !!!!
Posted by mark at 12:17 PM