CEO DATELINE - Former executive director sues Automotive Service Association for defamation
CEO DATELINE - Former executive director sues Automotive Service Association for defamation
- September 25, 2018 |
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Walt Williams
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Dan Risley, the former executive director of the Automotive Service Association, has sued the group and a former board member for comments implying Risley had engaged in "sexual misconduct" during his time at the association, according to court documents.
ASA announced in July that Risley resigned as head of the Texas-based association to take another job in his home state of Illinois, after five years as the group's top executive. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 12 in Florida, stems from an incident during a board of directors meeting held May 4 in Orlando in which former board member Ed Cushman said a staff member had accused Risley of sexual misconduct. The details of the complaint were not spelled out in the lawsuit.
Cushman then allegedly compared the case to that of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who was forced out after being accused of covering up for an assistant coach who had sexually abused young boys.
Cushman recommended Risley be immediately terminated from his position, according to the lawsuit. Risley countered that he never engaged in any sexual misconduct and "excused himself from the ASA board meeting feeling humiliated."
Risley is seeking at least $15,000 in damages and attorney's fees for what he said were defamatory and slanderous comments made by Cushman. ASA was also named as a defendant as Cushman was acting as an agent for the association in his role as board member.
ASA responded to the lawsuit with a brief statement by current Board Chairman Roy Schnepper noting that Cushman is no longer a board member but was serving in that capacity at the time of the accusation.
"As a result, ASA is named in the suit," Schnepper said. "Due to ongoing litigation we are not able to comment any further."
The lawsuit was filed in Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit Court for Orange County.
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