The former superintendent of Pleasant View Rest Home in Pulaski County is suing the commissioners, auditor and county attorney for defamation, slander, libel and invasion of privacy. Sandra Hurd’s lawsuit stems from the circumstances that led to her suspension with pay and subsequent termination last August. Her lawsuit claims she found a possible clerical error in reports filed with a state agency last July, notified them and asked how to fix it. Hurd contends the commissioners convened an executive session July 29th and accused her of committing Medicaid fraud. She filed the necessary paperwork the following day to correct the error, according to the suit, and the county was notified in writing on Aug. 22 that no fraud was committed. The commissioners fired Hurd during an emergency public meeting on Aug. 27th.
“She can be fired for screwing up these reports, which she admits she did, and she resulted in the county paying a fine,” county attorney Kevin Tankersley tells WKVI news. “These are all hard facts that nobody can dispute. The wrongful discharge has got no chance of winning, no chance. The defamation is equally bad, because it doesn’t say anything we said.” Continue reading
