Woman asks court to drop lawsuit former House Speaker Jeff Hoover filed against her
A former legislative staffer who was sued by former Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover and two other men asked Fayette Circuit Court Tuesday to dismiss their lawsuit, saying it is without merit.
The men sued the female staffer after they reached a paid settlement with her over her allegations of sexual harassment. They claim in their lawsuit filed in January that the woman “blatantly breached that agreement and entered into it without any intention of abiding by it.”
They are seeking repayment of the $110,000 they paid in 2017, plus interest.
The suit was filed by Hoover, a Jamestown attorney who remains in the state House as a Republican representative; state Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland; and former state Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Campbellsville. Former state Rep. Brian Linder, R-Dry Ridge, also was involved in the settlement but is not part of the lawsuit against the staffer. DeCesare and Linder did not seek reelection last year.
The lawsuit names the former staffer, who resigned her job in the House Republican leadership office. The Herald-Leader does not generally name alleged victims of sexual harassment.
The staffer’s attorney, Gail Langendorf of Florence, said her client did not violate the settlement’s confidentiality clause. A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. April 19 before Fayette Circuit Judge John E. Reynolds.
Lexington attorney Leslie Vose, who is representing the three men, was not immediately available for comment.
In the 17-page motion filed Tuesday to dismiss the suit, , Langendorf said Hoover, DeCesare and Meredith “are powerful current and former elected officials who filed this lawsuit to punish, harass and financially ruin“ the former staffer.
She noted that the staffer next month is to be cross-examined “by her harassers in a whistleblower action to which she was not a party.”
If the original settlement is nullified, the former staffer could file a civil suit against those involved in the October 2017 settlement, Landendorf said.
Then, the staffer “can share her story personally with the public,” she said.
The suit against the staffer was filed in Fayette Circuit Court because the agreed settlement was negotiated in Fayette County.
It contends the staffer was “communicating with third parties providing details of the settlement negotiations, the settlement and the settlement amount” even before it was finalized on Oct. 25, 2017.
It said the staffer gave details of the settlement to her supervisor, Daisy Olivo, and then-House clerk Brad Metcalf. Both Olivo and Metcalf were fired and have filed whistleblower lawsuits against the state. They claim they were retaliated agains for reporting sexual harassment in the legislature.
Hoover has acknowledged exchanging inappropriate texts with the staffer but has denied any sexual contact.
In a deposition that the former staffer gave in lawsuits filed by Olivo and Metcalf, she reportedly claimed Hoover also sexually assaulted her and that Meredith made a vulgar statement to her.
That deposition remains sealed in Franklin Circuit Court but the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting obtained a copy of the deposition and reported on its contents Jan. 15.