Robbinsville – Three separate lawsuits were voluntarily dismissed at the start of the month, although two of the plaintiffs immediately refiled.
A trio of suits against the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, former sheriff Joseph Jones and Sheriff Jerry Crisp – filed by former employees Brent McMahan, Reba McMahan and Catrina Buchanan – were dropped between Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, with the McMahans refiling their suits Dec. 3.
Buchanan’s suit alleged sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, wrongful termination and punitive damages against the office, after her July 30, 2020, dismissal. Buchanan worked as executive assistant for former sheriff Danny Millsaps – and later Jones – after being hired on Nov. 7, 2016.
Brent’s original suit alleged wrongful termination, blacklisting, mishandling of federal grants, and intentional and emotional distress. Reba’s suit contained the same allegations, but added constructive termination, failure to hire and sexual harassment.
However, the allegations of wrongful termination, constructive termination and failure to hire were dismissed by District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Asheville on March 17. Another allegation of mishandling government funding was voluntarily removed by Reba on April 2.
The new suits – filed by Waynesville-based attorney Russell L. McLean III, who is representing both Brent and Reba – are largely similar to the ones just voluntarily dismissed, with a few additions and subtractions. Brent’s new suit has been filed against Jones, the county sheriff’s office and RLI Underwriting Services Inc. – a Delaware-based insurance company that represents the office. The new lawsuit does not include the allegation of mishandling federal grants.
Reba’s new suit lists the same three defendants and relists both the wrongful and constructive terminations, as well as the failure to hire allegation. The suit contends that Reba discussing issues with District Attorney Ashley Welch led to her dismissal, and that she worked for the office from April 4, 2019, through July 28, 2020.
In Reba’s lawsuit, the name “Jeff Crisp” appears three times on the first page of the complaint, but that is later corrected to Jerry on page 3.