Odom V. Anniston, City Of Et Al
Case Background
On April 29, 2021, Jason C. Odom filed a discrimination lawsuit against the City of Anniston for age and race discrimination, retaliation, and civil rights violations after his 2020 termination as Deputy City Attorney. He alleged the city rejected his reapplication and took retaliatory actions, while Ben Little, Glen Ray, and Steven Folks defamed him and conspired to end his employment based on race.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Alabama Northern (Eastern). Judge Annemarie Carney Axon presided over this case. [Case number: 1:21cv612]
Cause
Jason Odom, an attorney in Anniston, began working as the city’s Deputy City Attorney in 2015. He earned $2,500 monthly and was responsible for prosecuting municipal cases, primarily traffic violations, during weekly court sessions. Odom, who is white, balanced this role with his private practice.
In December 2016, Anniston police charged Rozetta Thompson with DUI. Odom initially prosecuted the case, but when it reached court in March 2017, he was absent. Jennifer Weems, a substitute attorney, negotiated a plea deal allowing Thompson to avoid conviction while leaving the case open for further prosecution. Odom disagreed with this decision and resumed the case, leading to Thompson pleading guilty to DUI. This sparked local controversy. Glen Ray, president of the Anniston NAACP, publicly accused Odom of corruption and exploiting the city’s poorer residents.
In June 2019, Thompson, assisted by Ray, filed a bar complaint against Odom over his handling of the DUI case. That fall, Ray began attending city council meetings, urging officials to fire Odom while reiterating claims of dishonesty. By January 2020, Anniston chose not to renew Odom’s contract. The position remained vacant for most of the year due to the pandemic until the city hired Jacqueline Smoke, a Black attorney, later that year.
Following these events, Odom filed a lawsuit against Ray, the City of Anniston, and the city manager.
Damages
Odom sought both compensatory and punitive damages for all three counts in his complaint.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
- Plaintiff(s): Jason C Odom
- Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Heather N Leonard | Cynthia F Wilkinson
- Defendant(s): Glen Ray | City of Anniston [Terminated: 04/01/2024] | Steven Folks [Terminated: 04/01/2024] | Benjamin L Little [Terminated: 09/08/2023]
- Counsel for Defendant(s): Donald W Stewart (for Glen Ray)
Claims
The case centered on Odom’s claim that he lost his position due to reverse race discrimination. Before trial, the government Defendants settled, leaving Glen Ray as the sole remaining Defendant.
Odom’s claims against Ray were complex. He alleged that Ray’s public accusations of Odom being a “crooked and corrupt prosecutor” resulted in three distinct claims:
- False light invasion of privacy, requiring Odom to prove Ray acted with malice.
- Tortious interference with Odom’s contract, claiming Ray disrupted his professional relationship with the city.
- Federal equal protection conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1985, alleging Ray conspired with city officials to force Odom out through reverse race discrimination.
Although Ray did not directly terminate Odom, the lawsuit suggested he colluded with officials to pressure the city into ending Odom’s employment.
Defense
Ray denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he was fulfilling his role at the NAACP by advocating for local residents. He also defended his statements by claiming they were truthful, insisting that Odom was indeed corrupt.
Jury Verdict
On April 17, 2024, the jury ruled in favor of Odom on all three counts, awarding him significant damages. For the invasion of privacy claim, Odom received $125,000 in compensatory damages and $20,000 in punitive damages. On the other two counts, he was awarded $250,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages. The total award amounted to $1.645 million, which the court upheld.
Court Documents:
Available for purchase upon request
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