Conference date set for Lea’s suit against Monessen officials

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

The federal judge assigned to a lawsuit filed against the City of Monessen, its mayor, two councilmen and city administrator has set an initial case management conference for Aug. 31.

The suit, filed by resident and former recreation board chairman Ed Lea, accuses Mayor Matt Shorraw, city Administrator John Harhai and councilmen Gil Coles and Don Gregor of defamation of character and the alleged targeting of a whistleblower.

The defendants filed their response to the suit last month, and argue that their statements about Lea were either true or were opinions based on facts.    

Judge William S. Stickman ordered an initial case management conference and both sides were ordered to select an alternative dispute resolution process by today.

The conference, which will be held via telephone, won’t require all parties to be present, but the attorneys who do attend are required to have “full settlement authority prior to the conference and must be prepared to discuss settlement of the case and alternative dispute resolution options in detail. All pending motions are subject to argument and disposition at the conference,” the judge’s order states.

Lea, Shorraw, Harhai, Gregor and Coles, along with the city’s insurance carriers, must be available by phone during the conference in case a settlement is reached.

Stickman’s order includes three requirements for the conference.

First, he required all parties to have conferred with legal counsel to “consider the nature and basis of their claims and defenses and the possibilities for promptly settling or resolving the case; make or arrange for the disclosures required … discuss any issues about preserving discoverable information and develop a proposed discovery plan.” 

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