Man say he was wrongly expelled from gun club

MOUNDSVILLE – A Marshall County man is suing over claims he was wrongfully expelled from a rifle and pistol club.

Anthony Ankrom filed a lawsuit Oct. 29 in Marshall Circuit Court against Moundsville Rifle & Pistol Club and Ronald Kaluger Jr. and Chrissy Thacker, individually and as agents of Moundsville Rifle & Pistol Club, citing defamation.

According to the complaint, Ankrom was a life member of the defendant corporation and served as its president until his resignation in August 2013. Ankrom says that in September 2013, he sent out letters to entities related to the club explaining that he was leaving his position due to differences of opinion with Kaluger and Thacker.

The complaint also states that at a meeting of the members of the corporation in November 2013, Kaluger made untrue statements about Ankrom, which Thacker verified.

According to the lawsuit, these statements included that Ankrom was attempting to get the lease for the corporation revoked, that a city official had shown the defendants eviction documents and that Ankrom had installed cameras to spy on the defendants. The complaint states Kaluger than made a motion to expel Ankrom from membership to the corporation, and the members carried the motion.

Ankrom says other members have been threatened with expulsion if they invite or allow Ankrom to corporation events, and on Feb. 25, he attended a meeting but neither he nor his supporters were allowed to defend himself against the untrue statements.

The defendants are accused of defamation, tort of outrage/intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. Ankrom seeks exemplary and punitive damages, attorney fees and costs of action.

He is represented by attorney Herman D. Lantz of Lantz Law Offices in Moundsville. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge David W. Hummel Jr.

Marshall Circuit Court case number: 14-C-178H