PARKERSBURG - The former finance director of Parkersburg filed a lawsuit July 15 in Wood Circuit Court claiming she was defamed by county officials, residents and social media websites.
Ashley Flowers filed the lawsuit against her estranged husband, Harold Flowers; former county commissioner Rick Modesitt; Callie Lyons; River City News Network; attorney William Merriman; Darci Dyke; Tina Hughes; Vicki Gheen; Stephanie Boone; Sarah Goff; Wood County Republican Party Chairman Rob Cornelius; BurgTramps; Facebook.com; Twitter.com; John Does 1 through 20, residents of West Virginia; Jane Does 1 through 10, residents of West Virginia; and John and Jane Does 1 through 20, residents of Ohio.
Flowers claims the defendants invaded her privacy, and also made claims of violations of public disclosure of private information, intentional infliction of emotional distress, libel, slander and portraying her in a false light.
Flowers claims the defendants are responsible for invading her privacy related to the distribution of flash drives containing personal photos, documents and messages.
Facebook and Twitter failed to take action on repeated requests to remove images, files and stolen property posted on their websites, according to the suit.
Flowers claims that the defendants' conduct was "odious and utterly intolerable."
The defendants caused Flowers shame and humiliation to the extent it offends the ordinary sensibilities of society, according to the suit.
Flowers also claimed her estranged husband abused her and threatened her.
In April, Flowers' estranged husband "messed with" former Mayor Bob Newell's computer and obtained documents and materials from Flowers' computer, then gave the information to Modesitt and he and Modesitt distributed the flash drives, along with the unknown and unnamed defendants, according to the suit.
Flowers claims the flash drives resulted in ethics complaints, a State Police investigation and accusations of an affair and related misuse of municipal finances by Flowers and Newell.
Flowers is seeking compensatory and punitive damages and an injunction shutting down River City News Network's and BurgTramps' Internet operations. She is representing herself.
