Employee suing Owensboro chamber

OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) - On Tuesday, Owensboro Chamber of Commerce President Jody Wassmer resigned, and 14 News learned a lawsuit was filed against him on Monday by a former Chamber of Commerce employee.

Wassmer maintains the lawsuit and resignation are not related.

Wassmer is leaving the Chamber of Commerce to be the new CEO of One Southern Indiana, based in New Albany. One Southern Indiana is the chamber of commerce and economic development coalition serving Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana. Wassmer says the lawsuit he's facing now has nothing to do with that.

On Monday, former Chamber of Commerce employee Ashley Bradshaw filed a lawsuit against the Chamber of Commerce. Bradshaw was fired in August by Wassmer for what he calls insubordination.

Bradshaw sees it differently.

Bradshaw's attorney Evan Taylor says, "Ashley felt that her termination was unjustified. She worked for the chamber for nine years."

In the lawsuit, Bradshaw claims she saw two airplane tickets to Chicago charged on the Chamber of Commerce credit card by Wassmer. Bradshaw says the trip Wassmer took wasn't business related, and says he had brought a female companion on the trip - who had nothing to do with chamber matters.

Attorney Taylor says, "When it became obvious that chamber resources were being utilized to hide what Jody was doing, Ashley thought it was no longer a private matter. She was actually asked by the chamber board to tell them what she had seen and knew about what Jody had done."

Wassmer denies Ashley Bradshaw's allegations.

Wassmer says, "I would consider this lawsuit to be completely frivolous being filed by a disgruntled former employee. The lawsuit has absolutely nothing to do with me leaving Owensboro. Absolutely nothing."

The chamber's legal council will file an answer in which Wassmer will tell his side of the story, and then go through the discovery phase.

After that, it could go to trial.

We'll keep you updated.

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