From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — A lawsuit brought by a former employee of a Trussville optometry practice has been dismissed. The five-count civil negligence claim was filed in December of 2017 against Trussville City Councilman Zack Steele and two of his employees, Lindsey Lemaster and Brandy Sullivan, by former employee Danielle Smith and her husband, Scott Smith.
The Smiths alleged counts against Steele for sexual assault, battery and harassment; negligent hiring, training, supervision, retention and entrustment; personal trespass and invasion of privacy; conspiracy; and intentional infliction of emotional distress and outrage.
Related Story: Former employee sues Trussville City Councilman on sexual harassment allegations
Last month, Federal Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala from the Northern District of Alabama ordered a filing of a joint stipulation and order for dismissal with prejudice, which means the suit cannot be brought again.
The judge’s order stated that both parties have agreed to dismiss their claims against each other, to resolve this matter confidentially, and in such a manner that does not require the payment of damages to any party.
Because of a non-disclosure agreement, attorneys representing Steele and the Smiths had no further comment.
Steele was represented by Rick Bearden of Massey, Stotser and Nichols, P.C. The Smiths were represented by Scott Hughes of Blount Hughes, LLC. Hughes’ law partner, Dave Blount, opposed Steele in the 2016 municipal election for the city council seat that Steele won.
Lemaster and Sullivan were represented by John Amari of Amari Gray. Amari and his clients were not part of the non-disclosure agreement.
“We are pleased with the result,” Amari said. “Frankly, our clients never should have been a part of this action in the first place.”
Sullivan said she has worked for Steele for two and a half years and never witnessed anything inappropriate in the work place. She said she was glad the situation was finally over.
“In my opinion, all of the allegations against Dr. Steele and myself were ridiculous,” Sullivan said. “I feel that the only reason I was brought into this by the plaintiff was to discredit me in an effort to keep me from being a witness to the truth about her allegations. The fact that he was even accused of any misconduct is absurd. He has always been a very professional employer.”
Steele’s wife, Beth, responded to the lawsuit and how the allegations impacted her and her family over the last year.
“Both Zack and I have always had an inherent sense of trust for the goodness in people,” Beth said. “This experience, however, called into question the core of what we thought we knew.”
Beth said the allegations against her husband were untrue and the ordeal was difficult on the entire family.
“The complaint and lawsuit against Zack was marked by injustice and dishonesty,” she said. “It was an unwarranted threat to his family, livelihood and reputation. It lacked all moral sensibility; it was wrong, and it was hurtful. We may be less naïve than we were before, but the outpouring of love and support from family, friends and others helped to restore our faith in the benevolence of humanity. I am grateful for the comfort we have felt from Trussville friends and neighbors, and for the loyalty and trust that Zack’s patients have shown for him. I am proud of his strength despite this egregious situation, and for staying focused on our children, his patients and the community.”
Dr. Sam Pierce, Steele’s business partner and the founder of Trussville Vision Care, has practiced with Steele for 15 years.
“I want everyone to know the community of Trussville has been and will continue to be well served by Dr. Steele, both in his role as a local doctor of optometry and in his role as a sitting member of the Trussville City Council,” Pierce said. “He deserved none of this, but my friend Zack is a fighter, and he stood his ground, maintained his integrity, defended the truth and now has rightfully received his vindication.”
Pierce said he is concerned that the #MeToo movement, while shining needed light on sexual harassment in the workplace, may also be producing unfounded allegations.
“I saw this first hand when Dr. Zack Steele, my longtime friend and colleague, had blatantly false allegations of impropriety made against him by a former employee,” Pierce said. “The lies that were told served no other purpose than to impugn his stellar reputation in the community and hurt his family.”
Correction: The original story stated that Dr. Samuel Pierce was originally included as a defendant in the case, but later removed. The reference in the filing to Dr. Samuel D. Pierce, O.D., P.C. referred to the name of the corporation and not to Dr. Pierce personally. The story has been corrected to reflect this clarification.
