County's bid to toss harassment suit denied

A federal judge on Wednesday denied a motion to dismiss a sexual-harassment lawsuit against Faulkner County and three of its officials.

Ruling in Little Rock, U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. also lifted a stay in the case, which first was put on hold in late October and extended in January after the death of the plaintiff's attorney, Tom Mickel, who had cancer.

Shortly before his death, Mickel had said he was working on a proposed settlement between the plaintiff, Julie Woodward, and the county officials: Shelia Bellott, director of the office of emergency management; Tom Anderson, county administrator; and the county judge of Faulkner County, Jim Baker.

Conway attorney Justin Zachary now represents Woodward, who was among four employees at the emergency management office to file complaints against Bellott. The complaints accused Bellott of harassment, recurring tardiness, absenteeism and falsification of time cards.

Woodward and one of the other employees sued, but another employee, Mary Johnson, later withdrew from the case.

All four of the office's employees at the time of the complaints in 2017 have since resigned, though Bellott remains the office's director despite recommendations by two attorneys that Baker fire her. Baker instead moved her office to a building separate from the other employees.

State Desk on 04/05/2019

Upcoming Events