Former London city attorney talks recent firing, expects more terminations
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- City attorney Larry Bryson disputes firing by acting mayor Tracie Handley as unjust.
- Bryson predicts additional terminations among city hall employees under Handley.
- Council held closed meeting on staffing and litigation; no public details released.
The former city attorney for London, recently fired by acting Mayor Tracie Handley, called his dismissal unjust and said he expects more city employees to be terminated.
Larry Bryson, who had served as city attorney since the late 1980s, said in an interview Tuesday with the Herald-Leader that he was fired by acting Mayor Tracie Handley for insubordination. Bryson disputed the claims but said several of the current council members didn’t want him as city attorney, so he expected this decision.
“(Handley) had asked for some information about different cases that were pending, and I provided her with that information,” Bryson said. “I told her in my letter to her that if she needed more information, to let me know. She just simply responded with the letter of termination, saying my report was inadequate.”
Handley has not responded to repeated requests for comment, including to confirm Bryson’s firing.
Bryson and Handley never met face-to-face to discuss his employment, he said. Handley was named acting mayor Sept. 5 after the London City Council impeached and removed former Mayor Randall Weddle from office on three charges of misconduct or willful neglect.
Weddle frequently made news during his time as mayor. He has been investigated for campaign finance violations and sponsoring a free gas giveaway; was scrutinized for the London Police Department’s handling of a search warrant execution that left Doug Harless dead and is being sued by three residents for defamation.
Weddle also had many supporters in London. More than 2,000 residents signed a petition opposing his impeachment, and his supporters packed the Laurel County Judicial Center on the day of the impeachment vote.
Weddle has filed an appeal seeking to reverse his impeachment. Bryson said he would be interested in getting his job back if Weddle is mayor again, but if Handley is in office, he does not want to work for the city.
“I think she’s an illegitimate mayor,” Bryson said. “She was appointed by the council. We have a six-person council; three of those people on the council were never elected.”
In a Facebook post, Weddle said Bryson served London with professionalism, integrity and class. He also thinks Bryson’s dismissal was unjust and a result of personal feelings.
“In my view, the city has lost a true asset in public service, and his departure is a disservice to the community he so faithfully served,” Weddle said in the post.
Bryson said he thinks more city hall employees could face a similar fate, as councilmembers have threatened the employment of several other workers.
“It’s a shame because we have some of the most qualified people in some of those positions right now,” Bryson said. “They have so much institutional knowledge, but all of that will be lost.”
Handley and the council met in a special meeting on Monday to discuss pending litigation and the appointment, discipline and dismissal of city employees. The topics were discussed in a closed-door, executive session, and the meeting was adjourned without explanation of what happened in the executive session.
“We have to do that because it’s discussing a pending lawsuit, and we can’t discuss that in public,” Handley said during the meeting.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM.
