A photo of the Weakley County Courthouse in Dresden, Tennessee. In the foreground is a statue, sculpted by Russ Faxon on 2010, of Ned Ray McWherter, who served as governor of Tennessee from 1987-1995. The Dresden courthouse was designed by Marr And Holman. The limestone Weakley County Courthouse was built in 1949. This photo © Capitolshots Photography/TwoFiftyFour Photos, LLC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Dresden, Tenn.–A lawsuit filed against the city of Dresden’s board of aldermen by Dresden Mayor Jeff Washburn five days ago has been settled.
In the lawsuit filed Friday, July 8, and Washburn sought a permanent restraining order and restoration of his rights of office and claimed that the six aldermen violated the state’s Open Meetings Act and restricted his First Amendment rights as administrator of the city’s Facebook page.
Dresden Attorney Roy Herron issued a press release today which states that the parties involved have reached a settlement.
Washburn is an attorney and had indicated he would act as his own legal representative in the case. The Board of Aldermen hired Herron as its attorney and Herron negotiated the settlement for the parties.
Under terms of the settlement, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen will follow the Open Meeting’s Law and the board agreed to rescind its resolution censuring Mayor Washburn. Herron said the Board felt Washburn got their message and the parties agreed to amicably resolve their differences.
Washburn’s lawsuit was filed in response to the resolution which censured him for acting unprofessionally in administering the city’s Facebook page by deleting posts and blocking some citizens from comment.
Aldermen also had asked for Washburn’s resignation.
The city of Dresden was hit in December by a tornado which destroyed much of the city, including City Hall, other city offices, the local newspaper office, businesses and homes.