Connie Clay, a domestic relations attorney, served as a city FOIA officer for six months until she was fired in January by Petula Burks, then the director of strategic communications and civic engagement for the city of Richmond.
Clay in March filed a $250,000 lawsuit, saying she was terminated illegally after she blew the whistle on city officials for breaking state public records laws.
Clay now says she believes city officials are “using their big firm attorneys to stall” the suit by not setting a hearing date in the case.
After receiving a 30-day extension to review Clay’s accusations, attorneys for the city and Burks in late April filed a demurrer — a motion to dismiss the case — in which they argued that Clay’s claims are baseless and that Clay and Burks simply didn’t see eye-to-eye on what records could be lawfully withheld in response to public records requests.
“At best, (Clay’s) complaint is littered with a smattering …