CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Ajax Turner 50+ Center is suing Clarksville, Mayor Joe Pitts and four former board members, alleging the city's planned takeover relied on closed-door decision-making.
The complaint also argues that the board members who voted to surrender the property did not have the legal authority to do so under the center's own governing rules.
The lawsuit is the latest development in a months-long dispute over the center, which serves about 1,400 older adults. Pitts moved this spring to terminate the nonprofit’s lease and put the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in charge of its building and programming.
The complaint alleges takeover decisions were made during closed or unannounced discussions that violated Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act.
Our investigation found discussions about the transition began before Pitts told the full board. Emails showed then-employee Jessica Catlett discussing the transition with city officials in January. She was later fired by the center, hired by Parks and Recreation the next day and selected to oversee the city-operated senior center.
The lawsuit alleges that four board members — Beverly Guynn, Maureen Potter, Otis Sanders and Rose Bennett — voted at a July 16 meeting to relinquish the premises to the city and then resigned.
The complaint says another group of board members met later that day, rescinded the vote and declared, “We’re not leaving.”
The center, along with Jimmy Parker and Jill Turner Crow, whom the complaint identifies as the current board chair and vice chair, is asking a Montgomery County chancellor to block the city from evicting the nonprofit, removing its property or transferring its assets.
Most recently, the city has ordered the center to leave 953 Clark Street by July 27. The lawsuit argues Clarksville cannot remove the nonprofit without first obtaining a court-issued writ of possession and says its rent was current. The lawsuit also claims the property belongs to Montgomery County and the City holds no deed to it.
The complaint separately alleges charitable funds were used to benefit an insider, including through a payment to an unnamed board member's husband.
Allegations have not been proven in court.
The filings do not include a ruling on the request to temporarily block the city’s actions.
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