Sheila Hallman Warner v. Bluefield State College Board of Governors

Charleston, West Virginia, employment law lawyer represented the Plaintiff seeking to invalidate an agreement.

The Defendant employed the petitioner as a professor, and the underlying case involves events occurring during that employment. After a three-day, court-ordered mediation, the parties, who were both represented by counsel, agreed to confidential settlement terms. Subsequently, the parties entered into a written settlement agreement. A few months later, the Plaintiff filed a self-represented petition to invalidate the settlement agreement and release with the circuit court, which the ICA accurately described as "difficult to follow." Both the Defendant and the Plaintiff's former counsel responded to the petition. The Plaintiff filed a reply and also filed an "Amendment to Filings April 30, 2021 and June 08, 2021 Petition to Invalidate."

Ultimately, the circuit court denied the Plaintiff's petition to invalidate the settlement without a hearing, concluding that there was no evidence of fraud, duress, or other invalidating factors and that the settlement agreement was valid and enforceable.

Affirmed