Turkia Mullin
An arbitrator ruled Thursday that the Wayne County Airport Authority owes former executive director Turkia Mullin over $700,000 and attorney fees because, the arbitrator ruled, they fired her without proper cause. According to the terms of Mullin's multiyear contract with the airport, she was to be paid the full value of the contract if her employment was terminated for reasons other than a specific cause outlined in the agreement.
WXYZ: An arbitrator today ruled that Mullin was wrongfully terminated by the airport board, who swiftly fired her over concerns about her $200,000 severance from her previous employer: Wayne County.
None of the money involved in today's arbitration is public, as the Wayne County Airport Authority does not receive taxpayer money.Also in his ruling, arbitrator Paul Teranes denied Mullin's claim that she was defamed by board member Bernard Parker, and he also denied her from collecting punitive damages.
The decision may seem infuriating, but it's not completely surprising to anyone following the Mullin controversy. When the airport fired her on Oct. 31, 2011, they did so after meeting in a closed session that Mullin's attorney said violated the Open Meetings Act and were circumspect about the reason.
At that Airport Authority meeting, Director Suzanne Hall introduced a resolution to fire Mullin: “Now therefore be it resolved that the Wayne County Airport Authority board hereby terminates the employment of Turkia Awada Mullin in position of Chief Executive Office of the Wayne County Airport Authority effective immediately, pursuant to section 7Fi of Ms. Mullin’s employment agreement.”
Section 7Fi specified specific "dishonesty, theft, willful misconduct, breach of fiduciary duty, unethical business conduct which is injurious to the Authority” as reasons for termination. At the time, Hall refused to say how Mullin violated that clause.
“In further clarification, could you identify for purposes of your proposed resolution, which aspect or particular component of 7Fi your resolution pertains to?” Asked Authority Director Sam Nouhan.
“My resolution pertains to the entire section,” Hall replied.
The resolution passed 5-2 and Mullin was officially relieved of her duties.
After the meeting, Authority Director Bernard Parker explained his reasoning for voting to remove Mullin: “The thing that weighed on me was her ability to continue to run the airport."
Given the controversy surrounding Mullin's dubious $200,000 "severance" from Wayne County, Parker may have been correct in his assessment. But contract law is contract law and, assuming the arbitrators ruling stands, firing Mullin will weigh on the Airport Authority to the tune of $713,328.
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