Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
On Monday, January 27, 2025, Judge Matt Sullivan dismissed a complaint brought by Mayor Dale Berry against Aldermen Mark Grubbs and Sammie Tebo. The original complaint, which was filed In Simpson County Circuit Court on July 2, 2024, claimed, “the defendants have made statements via public meetings concerning Plaintiff which were false, defamatory and injurious to Plaintiff’s professional and personal reputation. Defendants’ statements portrayed Plaintiff in a false light causing severe emotional distress.”
The comments in question were made during a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen on May 8, 2024, in which the defendants moved to ask Mayor Berry to resign “due to creating a hostile work environment, and using his position to gain pecuniary benefit for himself, a relative or his own business.” The language of the motion was included in the minutes of the meeting.
Berry’s complaint claimed “the actions by the defendant are part of the public record and were widely covered by media throughout the State of Mississippi. The damage done to Plaintiff is extensive, on-going, and irreparable.” The complaint also argued the statements were false and were made with reckless disregard of their truth or falsity “and/or with malice.”
Aldermen Grubbs and Tebo filed a motion to dismiss, and all counts were dismissed. Berry has served as mayor of Magee for seven years.
