Former Saltillo Mayor Released from Federal Lawsuit

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Former Saltillo Mayor Bill Williams is no longer a defendant in a wrongful termination suit filed in September by former Saltillo Assistant Police Chief Prentice Brown.

A local newspaper reports Senior U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson dismissed Williams from both the First Amendment free speech retaliation and the malicious interference claims.

Davidson said that since Williams was not mayor when Brown was terminated, he played no role in the decision to fire and could not have violated Brown’s right to free speech. On the malicious interference claim, the judge said there is a one-year statute of limitations on the claim.

Brown was suspended by Williams on June 13, 2013. He was terminated on July 10, 2013, by current Mayor Rex Smith.