A 2017 lawsuit filed by the former accountant for the Russellville Electric Board finally ended recently after the Supreme Court of Alabama affirmed the ruling of the Franklin County Circuit Court granting summary judgment in favor of the defendants.
Andrea Murphy, who was hired as an accountant for the REB in 2006 and rose to the position of Chief Financial Officer, filed the lawsuit against the board, former General Manager Charles Canida, as well as each individual serving on the board when she was fired in 2015.
The complaint was filed by Russellville attorney Sharon Hindman Hester. It alleged multiple counts against the defendants, including breach of contract, negligence, wantonness, wrongful termination and defamation claims.
Through the past seven years, most defendants and claims were dismissed by the Franklin County Circuit Court. The lone exception was a defamation claim against Canida and former REB Chairman Darren Woodruff.
That remaining claim was dismissed on August 17, 2023, when Franklin County Circuit Judge Brian Hamilton granted a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the attorney representing Canida and Woodruff.
Hester filed notice of appeal on September 22, 2023. The Supreme Court of Alabama's October 4th ruling affirmed Hamilton's order dismissing the case.
When Murphy was terminated in 2015, she alleged the REB employee handbook allowed termination only 'for cause' and that she was not provided any due process or hearing before the board's action. The lawsuit followed.
Murphy's breach of contract claim alleged the REB violated its agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and as a result, she was harmed as a third-party.
All defendants and causes of action were dismissed in May 2021, save the defamation counts against Canida and Woodruff. After almost two years of discovery and depositions, the court found, as a matter of law, there were no facts to support a claim that Canida or Woodruff defamed Murphy.
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