18-03-2025
Whistleblowers agree to dismiss lawsuit against Raleigh County Commission
BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — A group of whistleblowers inside the Raleigh County Circuit Clerk's Office have agreed to dismiss a lawsuit against Raleigh County Commission without seeking monetary damages, according to Robert Dunlap, the attorney who represents them in the lawsuit.
Workers in the Circuit Clerk's Office filed the lawsuit around a year ago, after former Raleigh County Circuit Clerk Robert McComas allegedly discriminated against them by using racial and sexual language and drawings and by violating the rights of a pregnant worker.
Dunlap said on Monday, March 17, 2025, that they agreed to drop the lawsuit against Raleigh County Commission, their employer, once the Commission began providing Human Resources Services to county workers by two outside companies.
The lawsuit alleged there was no available recourse for the workers when McComas, an elected official, began the alleged harassment and discrimination.
Dunlap said on Monday that a local media outlet also identified the workers last year because county officials released their names under a Freedom of Information Act request.
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'They shouldn't have had their information turned over, and they did,' Dunlap said. 'They've been vilified as gold diggers, as people who have been trying to get some monetary benefit against an employer, when all they wanted was a safe and conducive work environment.'
Dunlap said dismissal of the lawsuit, once county officials had taken steps to protect workers' rights, shows the intention of the county employees.
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'It was never about the money,' said Dunlap.
He added that dismissal of the lawsuit does not bar each worker from bringing an individual lawsuit in the future.
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