(Greensburg, IN) – Fourteen Decatur County REMC members have sued the electric co-operative’s CEO and Board of Directors.
In a four-count, 23-page complaint filed in Decatur Superior Court, the members’ attorneys allege fraud, breach of contract by the CEO, failure by all of the defendants to act in the best interests of Decatur County REMC and its members, and fraud involving favoritism when it comes to rate making.
They also requested a jury trial but a date has not been scheduled.
Decatur County REMC released a statement saying the claims made against the CEO and board are not valid, and the allegations are false.
The statement can be read below:
“The Decatur County REMC Board of Directors is aware of the recent legal complaint filed against members of our board and CEO. Our firm response to the filing is that there are no valid claims in the complaint and that the allegations are simply untrue.
“Since the filing of the complaint, a petition has been created calling for the removal of a board member. The petition contains the same untruthful claims used in the original complaint and have not been validated by any court.
“In both the complaint and the petition, the issues cited by the plaintiffs have already been addressed by our staff and board members, and in many cases multiple times, over the course of the past several months (and years.)
“Following board policy, written questions and letters submitted to our board have received factual, written responses, however the plaintiffs are unsatisfied with the answers and have filed the complaint to express that dissatisfaction. Additionally, the board views the petition as just another tactic from a group of disgruntled members who insist on forcing the board to meet their demands.
“Our board follows the rules, policies and procedures of the REMC’s bylaws to govern the cooperative in a fair, responsible and legal manner. Those bylaws will not be overlooked to meet the demands of any individual or group.
“Working with our legal counsel, we will file a response to address each specific item in the complaint and look forward to resolving this matter. During the course of this civil litigation process we cannot provide additional comments regarding the complaint, but consistent with any applicable legal rules, we will release new information as it becomes available.
“The board and management team are committed to making decisions that are in the best interest of our entire membership and to providing safe and reliable power to each and every one of our 6,800 members. Our Board of Directors were elected to govern and guide the cooperative and will continue to do so — putting the operations of the cooperative and service to our members first.”
