Contempt motion filed against Gordon Mayor

GORDON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Gordon Mayor Mary Ann Whipple-Lue will face Judge Robert Reeves in a contempt of court hearing.

In the motion filed Tuesday in the Superior Court of Wilkinson County, the group called “The Concerned Citizens of Gordon” claims she violated the judge’s ruling when she tried to fire City Attorney Joseph Boone.

On September 25, Mayor Whipple-Lue sent Boone a letter. In it she states, “You are not the City Attorney for Gordon, and the City does not want your services.” The letter goes on to mention a $22,500 payment that was given to Boone to end his services.

It also asks Boone to return any city files he has to the mayor’s office within the next seven days and “failure to do so will result in a Georgia Bar complaint being filed against you.”

Last week, and two days before Mayor Whipple-Lue sent Boone the letter, a Jasper County judge ruled Boone would remain the city’s attorney. This came after Mayor Whipple-Lue made a motion and voted to remove Boone from office in May.

According to the judge, the mayor is only allowed to vote if there is a three to three tie, which in the case there was no tie and she voted.

On July 29, Judge Reeves ruled Mayor Whipple-Lue can return to her mayoral duties after she was temporarily removed from office for 60 days, but there were some condition. One of the conditions was she cannot terminate an employee without due process.

The “Concerned Citizens of Gordon” believes this is a direct violation of the judge’s ruling.

The contempt hearing will be on October 9 at the Wilkinson County courthouse at 10 a.m.

The group wants Mayor Whipple-Lue suspended from office until the pending lawsuit against her, accused of violating the open meetings act, is resolved.

The group also wants Mayor Whipple-Lue to be held in civil or criminal contempt of court for violating Judge Reeves’ order. The group’s attorney, Delvin Cooper, tells 41NBC that means she could spend 20 days in county jail and fined up to $1,000.

41NBC reached out to Mayor Whipple-Lue’s attorney, Wayne Kendall. He says he received the motion, but has not read it yet and could not comment.