A controversy has erupted over the dismissal of our client, Detroit Metro Airport CEO Turkia Awada Mullin. She was recently fired, but the board that voted to let her go has refused to articulate a reason for her dismissal.
Mullin is now suing for wrongful termination, according to her attorney, Raymond J. Sterling of Sterling Attorneys at Law.
As previously mentioned, Mullins was recently dismissed from her position, but it is unclear — to her and to almost everyone else — exactly why she was fired. The board members who voted to dismiss her made only an oblique reference to the cause of her firing, pointing to a portion of her contract that defines “cause” as certain types of conduct that injure the airport authority, including theft and dishonesty.
Board members have refused to elaborate and thus far have not said which offense they believe Mullin is guilty of committing. One of the board members who voted against firing Mullin said ashe served with honor and he had no reason to believe she had done anything to violate the terms of her contract.
One employment law observer, who is not involved with the case, commented to a reporter that thus far, it seems like the board will have a hard time singling out the cause for Mullin’s firing.
Mullin is seeking $708,000 – the amount which she would have been paid had she finished out her three-year contract, plus other damages resulting from the firing. The crux of the issue is whether Mullin was fired for permissible reasons. If she was, then she will not get the $708,000. But if she was not, then she is owed the balance of her contract plus damages resulting from the breach.
Watch this blog for future updates on Mullins’ case.
Source: The Detroit Free Press, “Turkia Awada Mullin ousted as CEO of Metro Airport,” John Wisely, Jim Schaeffer and Kathleen Gray, Nov. 1, 2011
