Winchester Sun, Sept. 30, 2014

Former superintendent slander suit gets trial date
By Fred Petke 

Former Clark County school superintendent Elaine Farris’ libel and slander suit against former football coach Paul Columbia, his wife Patricia and Joan Graves, may go before a jury next year.

Earlier this month, a March 2, 2015, trial date was set in the nearly two-year-old civil case against the Columbias and Graves. According to court documents, the trial is expected to take four days to resolve.

The case was put on hold earlier this year after the Columbias filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in federal court, which allows individuals to keep their property and pay debts over time. Such filings force an automatic stay in pending legal cases.

Farris filed the suit in November 2012, while she was still superintendent of the Clark County school system. In the suit, she said the Columbias and Graves made oral and written statements including “false accusations” about her performance as superintendent and her character.

The Columbias and Graves have been active in a group called Stand Up Clark County, which was formed after Paul Columbia was dismissed as George Rogers Clark High School’s head football coach at the end of the 2011 season. Initially, Paul Columbia told the Sun he voluntarily stepped down, but later retracted that statement and said he was fired.

Farris retired at the end of the 2012-13 school year and Paul Columbia retired earlier this year as an assistant superintendent with Clark County.

Farris’ suit claims the Columbias and Graves made numerous false statements about her ever since.

Earlier this year, Graves’ attorneys filed a motion with the court to allow her portion of the lawsuit to proceed, and possibly be resolved, while the Columbias dealt with their bankruptcy case. The judge denied that request and kept the cases together.

The judge also scheduled a status conference on Jan. 28, 2015,to make sure things are ready for trial.