More than one year after filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city of Stanford, Kentucky, and Mayor Bill Miracle, a judge ruled that there were "no genuine issues of material fact" in plaintiff Sandy Gooch's case, according to Central Kentucky News.
Gooch alleged that she was let go in November 2010 because her boss was worried that she was going to publicly accuse the mayor of unethical activities, such as requesting that she violate city policies. Her suit also says that Gooch lost her job so that Miracle could give her position to his girlfriend.
The news source states that the plaintiff was seeking damages of more than $847,000, $500,000 of which were for future lost wages. The judge made his decision based on the fact that Gooch was reportedly an at-will worker, which meant she could be terminated at any time.
She also sued the mayor for purposeful infliction of emotional distress. The judge, however, said that the threshold for this type of allegation had not been met.
"If true, the allegations asserted by Gooch constitute conduct of questionable morality," Tapp wrote. "However, even if Gooch was terminated so that Miracle's paramour could assume her position as city clerk and even if Gooch's termination letter … disseminated mistruths and lies, such conduct simply is not so outrageous and intolerable that it 'results in bringing one to his knees,'" said the judge, according to the news outlet.
Reporters for Central Kentucky News attempted to reach out to Gooch for a statement, but she purportedly directed them to her wrongful termination lawyer.
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