Obert Douglas, Joseph Cobb Gibbs and Curtis Boschert, all three former employees, claim that they were fired July 10, 2017, because they were white. Douglas was the fire chief for six consecutive years. Gibbs was the municipal judge for more than 20 years. Boschert was the city attorney for approximately 14 years. The complaint states that on the day city officials decided to fire Douglas, Gibbs and Boschert the Mayor Chuck Espy broke the tie, which led to the firing of the three men in a racially divided vote. Willie Turner Jr. and Ed Seals, Commissioners voted “aye”, while Ken Murphy and Timothy “Bo” Plunk voted for “nay.” In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs state that they are “more qualified” and that they were treated better than the “…blacks. Plaintiffs claimed that they were not granted pre- and post-termination hearings by the city, and that there was no reason to believe that they should have lost their jobs. Plaintiffs want reinstatement of their jobs and back pay, fringe benefits and salary increases. They also seek income loss. Because of ongoing litigation, the mayor’s office declined to comment._x000D