Cocke County Partnership Files Suit Against CLB Member
The Cocke County Partnership has filed a lawsuit against a member of the Cocke County Legislative Body. While the lawsuit is for $250,000 it seeks punitive damages of $1 million. The lawsuit stems from former HR manager and director of finance for the Partnership Sommer White, who was found by Partnership Director Lucas Graham, to be writing herself bonus checks from Partnership accounts. Those bonus checks were not approved by the Board of Directors nor the Director. Graham also found that White manipulated insurance payments to her benefit. When Graham went to terminate White, she quit. The lawsuit claims that when White left the Cocke County Partnership, she took a hard drive that contained propriety Partnership information and other information referred to by the Partnership as significant.
The lawsuit then alleges that White shared the information on the hard drive with CLB member Rick Vassar, who is named in the lawsuit. According to the document filed, Vassar had previously “indicated a desire for any information to discredit the Partnership or to sabotage any pending new business for the purpose of removing an independent entity and returning control to the County Legislative Body (CLB).” The lawsuit alleges that at least two times Vassar used information obtained from the hard drive in an attempt to defund or disband the Partnership during CLB meetings.
Also listed in the lawsuit are Rick Vassar’s wife Cindy and also Sommer White. The Vassars have hired an attorney to fight the lawsuit. A jury trial has been requested.