LEGAL BRIEFS

Former Salt Lake City Weekly Editor Sues for Unpaid Wages

According to a report by The Salt Lake Tribune, Enrique Limón, an ex-salt Lake City Weekly editor has filed a lawsuit against his former employer for allegedly not paying him thousands of dollars in wages. In the lawsuit, Limón alleges that City Weekly owed him $7,829 upon his termination last year for stories he wrote but wasn’t paid for including nine blog posts, cover stories for multiple issues and the 2020 City Guide. Additionally, Limón says he is owed $2,000 as a completion bonus for the paper’s 2019 Best of Utah edition. After Limón sent a written statement for payment, City Weekly said they owed him $1,850 and sent him a check for that amount. This resulted in Limón filing a claim with the Utah Labor Commission Wage Unit, who determined that the paper owned him an additional $716. While Limón said this is not accurate, City Weekly sent him the check for $716. Later, the paper put stop payments on both checks, according to the lawsuit. Now, Limón says he is owed approximately $10,334 in wages and any accrued interest, as well as damages, incurred costs and attorney fees.

Virginia Parole Board Chair Sues Richmond TV Station and Reporter

The Associated Press has reported that Tonya Chapman, the chair of the Virginia Parole Board, has filed a defamation lawsuit against WTVR-TV, a Richmond TV station, and one of its reporters over some of the station’s coverage of an ongoing controversy involving the board. The stories that prompted the lawsuit dealt with a 13-page draft report produced by the Office of the State Inspector General, which has been investigating the parole board. The specific report dealt with the board’s decision to release an inmate who had served 40 years in a police officer’s killing. In her lawsuit, Chapman, who was not a part of the decision to grant the parole, says that nothing in the first story explained that the 13-page document was a draft. She also says the sections of the draft report that dealt with her were not included in the final report “because they were not true.” The lawsuit seeks $5 million in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages, plus other expenses.