PARKERSBURG - Wood Circuit Judge J.D. Beane has ordered the dismissal of the lawsuit filed by former city Finance Director Ashley Flowers against multiple parties.
Beane ordered the case dismissed and removed from the docket last week. On Oct. 20, Flowers had filed a motion to dismiss her lawsuit, which she had filed in July against her estranged husband, among other defendants who had already been dismissed.
Flowers said she requested the lawsuit to be dismissed so she could focus on her children and herself.
"The reason for the lawsuit was invasion of privacy, and right now, that's what my children and I need to heal from this sad time," she said. "Going forward with the lawsuit, especially pro se, would require time I wish to spend rebuilding life with my kids and would have likely resulted in the very people who did this using it as an opportunity to further invade my private life and humiliate others."
Flowers said she thinks it is a sad thing that such private things remain online and that her children, once old enough, could possibly see it.
"Even more tragic is the fact that my estranged husband and everyone else involved did not care that it hurt more than just one or two adults that they sought out to hurt by disseminating this 'disk,'" she said. "Families, including my daughters, are and were affected by this extreme invasion of privacy."
Flowers said those that were behind this and involved will have to be the ones with that on their conscience.
"I must do what I have to protect my family from further harm," Flowers said. "I'm glad that the judge granted my request to dismiss the lawsuit."
Flowers had filed the lawsuit in July alleging that the defendants were responsible for invading her privacy and defamation, among other things, after flash drives relating to her affair with former Mayor Bob Newell.
Newell resigned to retire in June before a three-judge panel was set to convene to determine if he would remain in office over the allegations of the affairs, as well as the misuse of public funds.
When Mayor Jimmy Colombo was appointed by the City Council to complete Newell's term, Flower's was fired as finance director.
Flowers apologized for the affair, while Newell neither confirmed nor denied it. Both maintained they broke no laws.