CMYK Friday Night Football Ticker ... Chapel Hill 27, J.F. Webb 20 … Cardinal Gibbons 43, N. Vance 0 ... S. Vance 30, Orange 21... Warren 14, Louisburg 13 ... Franklinton-born Soupy Sales, 83, dies Can civility be lost if it was never found? Local & Nation, Page 4A
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Faith, Page 1C SATURDAY, October 24, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 249
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Former Oxford PD employee appeals lawsuit dismissal Iglesias: Wrongly fired for speaking out against Chief By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — A former Oxford Police Department Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE administrative assistant who claims she was Douglas Lumford, left, and Bailey Veneable sit in their barber chairs inside American Barber Shop on Montgomery Street wrongly fired in January Monday morning. At rear, William Jefferson serves a customer. 2006 is taking her arguments to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. Sharon Iglesias filed a notice with the court on Bailey Venable Jr., who became manager last Friday, has been there Friday saying she will seek an overturnseven years. ing of District All four are graduates of Harris Court Judge Barber College in Raleigh. James Dever The shop’s decor includes a long III’s Sept. 28 row of gray-metal seats facing the By AL WHELESS dismissal of five Admiral-brand chairs which Daily Dispatch Writer have been the temporary thrones of her lawsuit many of the thousands of customers against Although co-owner James E. ScarIglesias Oxford’s over six decades. boro Sr. walked out of the American municipal On the walls are such things as a Barber Shop at 200 E. Montgomery government, Police Chief “No Smoking” sign, an oval portrait St. into retirement on Oct. 13, the John Wolford, then-City of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a landmark for more than 62 years is Manager Tommy Marrow Chamber of Commerce membership expected to keep going at the same and the then-city human plaque boasting three separate years resources leader, Don clip. in the 1980s. “We have no plans for it to close,” Jenkins. There is also a price list that said his wife, co-owner Margaret Attorney Charles James and Margaret Scarboro are includes: Scarboro, who explained that negoMonteith, of Raleigh and negotiating with someone to take over • Even Cut — $11. tiations are underway for a potential the American Barber Shop. representing Iglesias, told • Fade Cut — $12. tenant to take over the art of shapthe Dispatch on Friday Mrs. Scarboro said, he took the same • Clipper Outline Or Razor Edge ing heads. that, “It’s our belief that position at American. — $8. The couple, who were married in Mrs. Iglesias was acting in The three barbers left behind af• Tapered Cut — $12. 1967 and who have two sons, Randy the best interest of the cititer Manager James Scarboro retired • Shampoo — $9. and James Jr., bought the property zens of Oxford when she were wondering Monday morning • Clipper Shave Or Moustache on Aug. 30, 1977, from Genevieve reported what she believed about their futures. Trim — $5. and George Stegall. to be wrongdoing by the Douglas Lumford has worked be• Ladies’ Hair Cut — $10. According to Mrs. Scarboro, highest ranking official in hind the same chair next to the front • Child’s Cut Up To Age 12 — $9. the Oxford Police DepartGeorge’s father, Oscar T. Stegall, window for 42 years. • Dye Job — $35 and up. and Dr. John D. Hawkins, purment.” William Jefferson started cutting “About 10 years ago, we became chased the land and constructed the Monteith was referring hair at the shop on Jan. 3 of 1990. smoke-free,” Lumford said. He to allegations that Wolford building in 1947. He is now part-time, due to his recalled that none of the barbers had embezzled from a fund After her husband managed the health, and hopes to fully retire in designed to finance police Ideal Barber Shop on East MontPlease see BARBER, page 3A undercover drug investigaabout 18 months. gomery Street from 1961 to 1968, tions. “And we also feel that the city perpetuated the issue when they failed to conduct a proper and thorough investigation into our client’s concerns,” Monteith told the Dispatch. Attorney Norwood Blanchard, of Wilmington and who defended Oxford against the lawsuit,
Barber retires, landmark endures
For over 62 years, shop on East Montgomery has served area customers
could not be immediately reached for comment. Blanchard after the dismissal of the suit said of Iglesias, “She had a pretty strong personal ax to grind with the chief. She was beating a dead horse. There just wasn’t anything left there, other than her campaign to get rid of her boss, her crusade against the chief.” Monteith on Friday told the Dispatch that, eventually, the Court of Appeals will issue an order setting the time frames for both sides to submit legal briefs, that is, written arguments in support of their positions. And the briefs will be presented to a three-judge panel, which will make a decision, Monteith said. Dever in March 2008 had already dismissed part of Iglesias’ claims, including that there was a mass conspiracy against her. The claims left to be decided were regarding her federal rights to freedom of speech and whether there was a wrongful discharge under state law. Dever wrote that a public employer may restrain job-related speech in order “to maintain discipline and ensure harmony as necessary to the operation and mission of its agencies.” Iglesias began working for the city in December 1999 when Roger Paul was chief. Marrow hired Wolford as chief in June 2000. Dever wrote that Iglesias became concerned that Wolford allegedly began embezzling funds in November 2001. In May 2004, the city investigated Iglesias’ allegations about the chief’s alleged embezzlement and was satisfied with the chief’s explanation. The chief’s reason was he was trying to find out whether any Oxford police officers were protecting illegal drug dealers, Dever wrote. Iglesias spread rumors Please see LAWSUIT, page 3A
Index Our Hometown . . . . . Business & Farm. . . . Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . Light Side . . . . . . . . .
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Sunday
Holding court at J.F. Webb Courtney Richardson and Akeem Daniels (couple on left) were crowned Homecoming Queen and King during halftime festivities Friday night at J.F. Webb. Chasidy White and David Evans were crowned Ms. and Mr. Webb. To view or purchase photos of a court member, visit us on the Web at www.hendersondispatch.com.
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