Middleton File 2
Middleton File 2
Middleton File 2
VS.
I. SUMMARY OF ACTION
conduct.
II. PARTIES
1
Due to privacy concerns, the referenced exhibits herein are not attached but have been submitted to
the Court for an in camera inspection
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Middleton, are, and at all time herein mentioned were individuals residing in Hinds
County, Mississippi.
shareholder and member in good standing of the River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc.
6. The incidents that gave rise to the filing of the First Amended Complaint
2016, and up to the date of their filing of their Complaint in this judicial district.
in public about the infidelity of her marriage, which was false and which
Hills members to the detriment and damage to the reputation of the daughter of
Middleton.
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known to Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff.
meeting to discuss their recent actions towards his family members. No immediate
was experiencing difficulties and they would not meet with him to discuss their
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waiting to see if everyone calmed down and if things would blow over. The same day,
supervisor indicating he would contact the River Hills General Manager if the
in-law.
while parked in the River Hills parking lot. Someone had written the initials CTJ
with the Board President and Supervisor of River Hills to outline the
complaint. Exhibit A.
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Board Members, on March 18, 2017, the River Hills Board proposed a compromise
on information and belief, would have allowed them to continue employment with
River Hills.
19. On March 22, 2017, River Hills announced that it had terminated
employment agreements.
gain.
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the basis for the lawsuit has never and alternatively, no longer exists.
against him. Litigants are expected to initially investigate their claims before filing
a lawsuit so that they have a sound basis at the outset to make particularized factual
allegations in the lawsuit and to dismiss their lawsuit when circumstances during
failing to investigate their claims when there never existed an employment contract
Plaintiff.
but have failed and/or refused to do so and continue to abuse the legal system for
their employer, River Hills, there are no remaining issues of material facts or relevant
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oral or written objection, statement, motion, or any other writing in this matter due
damages, loss and harm are the proximate and legal result of the abuse of legal
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300 hours through the filing date of this Counterclaim) in defending against this
hardship, and has suffered a strained relationship with River Hills, culminating in
made false statements verbally and on social media that are in the public eye and
record.
with reckless disregard for the truth and Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff has suffered
the false statements verbally and in social media with reckless disregard as to
whether the statements contained therein were false or not or with respect to the
consequences to Defendant/Counter-Plaintiff.
malicious, wanton, reckless and willful for the purpose of causing Defendant/Counter-
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IX. DAMAGES
Insurance Company.
and Rule 11 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, for filing and maintaining a
A. That this Court enter judgment in his favor on all counts of this counterclaim;
B. That this Court award him damages in the amount of $1,500,000.00, including,
but not limited to, his uncompensated time as an attorney in defending against
this action, the increase in his home insurance premiums as a result of re-
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rating by his insurance company resulting from defending Ostenson from the
remainder of his life, the damage to his reputation, being forced to observe the
suffering of his family and sanctions under the Litigation Accountability Act of
C. That this Court further award him punitive damages and attorneys fees; and
D. That this Court award him any and all other relief to which he may appear
entitled.
Respectfully submitted,
TOM L. OSTENSON
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on this day, a copy of the foregoing Counterclaim was filed
electronically. Notice of this filing will be sent to all parties by operation of the Courts
electronic filing system. Parties may access this filing through the Courts system.
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Middletons) assert that the Motion to Seal of Tom L. Ostenson (Ostenson) should
be denied because Ostenson did not provide specific reasons to justify sealing the
record; that to seal the record would mean the court having to seal nearly every case
where there are allegations of misconduct, financial information and other sensitive
information; that discovery responses are not filed with the court; that a protective
order and/or order to seal individual documents should be employed; and that to grant
Ostensons motion will result in the court being inundated with similar requests.
Ostenson wishes to seal the record because of the public attention that has and
will continue to be drawn to this case. This public attention is not only detrimental
to Ostenson and his family members, but is potentially damaging to the Middletons,
their daughter, and their other family members. There continues to be a high degree
motion to seal, the filing was promptly reported by a Jackson area blogger, generating
a number of inaccurate and unfavorable comments and postings. Ostenson and his
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family members have been subjected to public scrutiny and ridicule with comments
and innuendos in response to the motion to seal. This second posting provides a sound
basis and justification for the Court to grant Ostensons request to seal the case record
and all pleadings against the disclosure of confidential, personal and private
information and data.1 Because the pleadings that have been filed and will be filed in
this proceeding will contain reference to confidential, personal, private financial and
other sensitive information and data, the most efficient and practical manner in
which to shield this information from public scrutiny is to seal the case record and all
The Middletons in their response, rely on a United States Supreme Court case
that states that the public has a right to inspect judicial records and thus, the same
standard should be applied here. However, in this same decision, the United States
Supreme Court recognized the larger issue that denial of access to judicial records
may also be appropriate for the protection of privacy interests. Nixon v. Warner
Communications, 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978). Here, privacy interests will be irreparably
harmed if the entirety of the court record is left open to public inspection.
Ostenson appreciates the fact that the public has a right to the inspection of
judicial records, but that a court may deny this access when the information could
1The sensitive types of information could foreseeably include such matters as criminal, domestic,
medical, pharmaceutical, and substance abuse in relation to the allegations of the Middletons First
Amended Complaint.
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advocating that this court should seal every case when there are allegations of
confidential, personal and private information and data at issue. Instead, Ostenson
proposes the balancing of the publics common law right to access against the privacy
interests favoring nondisclosure. SEC v. Van Waeyenberghe, 990 F.2d 845, 848 (5th
Cir. 1993); Franklin v. Law Firm of Simon, Eddins & Greenstone, L. P., 2012 WL
5931690, at *3 (5th Cir. June 15, 2012). Ostenson believes that the court should apply
proposal would be much more cost effective and more adequately serve to maximize
the courts resources than the Middletons suggestion that a party seek either a
primary motion, while Ostenson believes the best approach would be to seal the entire
court record file and all pleadings, Ostenson proposes, in the alternative, that should
either party wish to file any discovery in the case, that they do so under seal with
Filing of Discovery
discovery are not filed with the court, only notices of service. However, what the
between the parties may become a part of the record when a motion to compel and/or
dispositive motions are filed with the Court. Ostenson seeks protection from this type
allegations that could cause harm and embarrassment to not only Ostenson and his
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family members but also the Middletons, their daughter, and their family members.
The pleadings and other documents containing these defamatory allegations should
Conclusion
There is a clear and compelling reason to grant Ostensons motion to seal the
case record and all pleadings against a disclosure of confidential, personal and private
information and data. For these reasons, Ostensons Motion to seal record should be
granted.
Respectfully submitted,
TOM L. OSTENSON
OF COUNSEL:
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
s/ Walter D. Willson
Walter D. Willson
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files this Motion to seal the case record, and any other pleadings or papers filed in
Background Summary
were employed by River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc. (River Hills) as the Director of
1 Due to privacy concerns, the referenced exhibits herein are not attached but have been submitted
to the Court for an in camera inspection.
2 River Hills is a necessary and indispensable party to any proceeding regarding the Middletons
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5. Ostenson and his attorneys are cognizant of the fact that all pleadings,
orders, judgments, and other documents filed in the record in this case are readily
other sensitive information and data that previously was only available by a review
of the Courts physical file is now available via MEC. Ostenson is seeking that both
the electronic court record available through MEC and the physical file be sealed by
this Court.
and his family members. Ostenson asserts that these highly personal and harassing
allegations are false and defamatory and have caused harm and embarrassment to
himself and to his family members. The pleadings and other documents containing
these false allegations and defamatory allegations should be sealed to mitigate the
harm and help prevent any further scandalous and libelous accusations by
7. Because the pleadings that have been filed and will be filed in this
financial and other sensitive information and data, the most efficient and practical
manner in which to safeguard this information from the public domain is to seal the
case record and all pleadings and documents. Ostenson believes that maintaining
the confidentiality of the case record, and any other pleadings or papers filed in this
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matter is in the paramount best interests of the parties. Due to the nature of the
proceedings, there exists an overriding privacy interest that overcomes the right of
Middleton, fifty (50) requests for admission and twenty-eight (28) requests for
this Court through MEC on May 18, 2017. [Docs. 11, 12, & 13].
and requested in these interrogatories, requests for admission and requests for
production provide the Court with a compelling and reasonable basis to seal the
court record file and all pleadings. Many of Plaintiffs discovery requests are
probability that Ostenson will be prejudiced if the court record is not sealed at this
junction of the litigation. In the alternative, Ostenson would request that should
any discovery by either party be filed in the court record, that it be filed under seal.
10. After the filing of the Complaint on April 4, 2017, Ostenson discovered
that on April 5, 2017, a Jackson area blogger had posted the Complaint.3 Exhibit
E. The release of this Complaint to a Jackson area blogger has damaged the
reputation of Ostenson and his family members and subjected them to unjust public
3 Ostenson was not served with the Complaint until April 21, 2017.
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Exhibit F. These events provide a clear and compelling reason to grant Ostensons
request to seal the case record and all pleadings against the disclosure of private,
Good Cause Exists to Seal the Court Record, Pleadings and Documents
11. Ostenson asserts that the court record, pleadings and documents
should be sealed because they contain false and defamatory allegations concerning
Ostenson and his family members. While the public generally has a right to inspect
and copy judicial records, the right is not absolute. SEC v. Van Waeyenberghe,
990 F.2d 845, 848 (5th Cir. 1993); Nixon v. Warner Commcns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589,
597 (1978). Specifically, courts have supervisory power over their records and files
and access may be denied where court files may become a vehicle for improper
information could be used for scandalous or libelous purposes. Id. Courts must
balance the publics common law right to access against the interests favoring
nondisclosure. Id. at *28 (citing Van Waeyenberghe, 990 F.2d at 848. See Franklin
v. Law Firm of Simon, Eddins & Greenstone, L.P., 2012 WL 5931690, at *3 (5th Cir.
would remain available to the public, the balance clearly favors sealing the court
record so that false and defamatory allegations do not create any additional harm to
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13. Prior to the filing of this motion, counsel for Ostenson conferred with
counsel for the Middletons regarding the necessity for this motion. Counsel for
Ostenson would represent to the Court that counsel for the Middletons opposes the
Conclusion
Because both good cause and compelling reasons in favor of sealing exist,
Tom L. Ostenson respectfully requests this Court order the Clerk of Court to place
the case record and all pleadings under seal due to it containing private, personal,
Respectfully submitted,
TOM L. OSTENSON
OF COUNSEL:
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on this day, a copy of the foregoing Motion to Seal Case
Record, Pleadings, and Documents was filed electronically. Notice of this filing will
be sent to all parties by operation of the Courts electronic filing system. Parties
may access this filing through the Courts system.
s/ Walter D. Willson
Walter D. Willson
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AGREED ORDER
THIS CAUSE has come on for hearing on the Unopposed Motion of Plaintiffs,
Todd Jason Middleton and Courtenay Middleton , for an extension of time through July
14, 2017, to serve its responsive pleading to the following motions filed by Defendant in
(1) Motion to Seal Case Record, Pleadings and Documents [Dkt. 17];
(2) Defendant's Motion to Compel Arbitration and Dismiss the Complaint [Dkt.
18];
The Court, having considered the Motion, finds that it is well taken and should be
granted .
IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED, that the Plaintiffs' deadline to file its responsive
pleading to Documents #17, #18 and #19 is extended through and including July 14,
2017 . bi-t -.
SO ORDERED, this the f day of J~ ,2017.
CI~JU~DGE
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SUBMITTED BY:
AGREED TO :
s/Randy L. Dean
Walter D. Willson
Randy L. Dean
WELLS MARBLE & HURST, PLLC
Post Office Box 131
Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0131
Telephone: (601) 605-6900
Facsimile: (601) 605-6901
E-mail: wwillson@wellsmar.com
rdean@wellsmar.com
- 2-
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COMES NOW Plaintiffs, Todd Jason Middleton and Courtenay Middleton, by and
through counsel, Watson & Norris, PLLC, and files this action to recover compensatory
and punitive damages for torts committed against Plaintiffs by Defendant, Tom Ostenson.
In support of this cause, the Plaintiffs would show unto the Court the following facts to-
wit:
PARTIES
3. This Court has original jurisdiction and venue is proper in this Court
pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. 11-11-3 (2013) in that substantial and virtually all events
that caused Plaintiffs injuries occurred at River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc., 3600
Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211, which is located squarely in the First
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4. Plaintiffs have been employed by River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc. since
March 2011. TJ was employed as Director of Tennis Development and Courtenay was
long term contractual employment agreements with River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc.
5. Plaintiffs were close friends and often socialized with River Hills members,
Ann Seale, daughter of River Hills members, Tom and Ginger Ostenson, and her
husband, Ben W. Seale, Jr., M.D., both of whom were tennis instruction clients.
and stated that the reason that you have not been able to communicate with Ann is
because I had to intervene, and I blocked her phone from being able to communicate
8. Ben Seale also claimed the following: (1) When Ann began private
lessons with TJ in the summer Courtenay became frustrated; (2) Courtenay would
mumble under her breath and glare at Ann on the next court while she was having a
Club, and the father of Tommy Ostenson who was a fellow employee at River Hills Club
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Middleton, regarding an encounter when she ran into his wife, Ginger Ostenson, at the
11. Plaintiff Courtenay Middleton entered Tuesday Morning looking for bed
skirts and was going about her business. Ginger Ostenson, mother of Tommy
Ostenson and Ann Seale, was talking on her cell phone but noticed Courtenay in the
store. Without getting off the phone, she leaned away from the phone and said Hey,
Courtenay.
12. Courtenay heard Ginger Ostenson but kept going about her business.
Ginger publicly yelled at Courtenay two more times and Courtenay finally answered her
and said Hey, Ginger. Ginger then hung up her cell phone and approached Courtenay
and said, I want to give you a hug. Courtenay replied, No Ginger, stay away from
me, clearly advising Ginger that she did not want her to touch her.
13. Ginger again advanced to try to hug Courtenay blurting, I want to give
you a Merry Christmas hug from me to you. Courtenay again said, Ginger, stay away
from me. Ginger was insistent and attempted for a third time to try to hug Courtenay
saying, I want to give you a New Years 2017 hug from me to you. Courtenay again
stated, Ginger dont touch me I am warning you, then Ginger tried again to hug
Courtenay.
daughter Ann Seale and her lack of coming forward to take accountability for her
actions and false accusations. Ginger said, All of you need to be adults. Courtenay
replied, Your daughter has not come forth and your son-in-law called my husband and
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accused him of having an affair with your daughter, so you and your family stay away
from me.
15. Courtenay continued by saying, That is disgusting that you think I would
tell people that my husband and your daughter are having an affair and I just have to
put up with it because we are in the service business. Your daughter was my dear
16. Ginger paused and then replied, Wait, you didnt say that? Courtenay
replied, What kind of person do you think I am? Ginger said, I will relay this to my
daughter. Courtenay said, I dont care what you say to her. She cant even come out
and be accountable and say anything to anybody. She is hiding and your son-in-law
17. Courtenay then put her bed skirts down, and exited the store. Ginger was
at the check-out counter and Courtenay went to her car to call her husband TJ. She
waited until Ginger left, about 10 minutes, and then re-entered the store to buy her
merchandise.
inappropriately escalated this personal matter to now include the Plaintiffs employer,
River Hills Club, by demanding a private meeting with Dave Randall, Tennis Director
and Head Tennis Pro, who was the direct superior to Plaintiffs, TJ and Courtenay
Middleton. Tom Ostenson and Dave Randall met at Newks on January 25, 2017. Dave
Randall met with Tom Ostenson at his insistence and listened to his claims that
Courtenay didnt hug his wife and he explained that his daughter is having some
mental issues.
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19. After the meeting, Tom Ostenson sent a follow-up threatening text to Dave
Randall. making the following threat: I will not file a complaint about Courtenay, but if
one more altercation with Courtenay occurs, I will file a complaint. On January 26,
Ben Seale.
20. This off-site meeting was never disclosed to TJ and Courtenay. As such,
River Hills never informed Plaintiffs of this first attempt by Tom Ostenson to tortiously
interfere with their employment relationship with River Hill Club. This overt and
calculated effort to sabotage their employment by Tom Ostenson was not disclosed to
Plaintiffs until they were unjustifiably interrogated, singled out and fired by Club
President Stuart Whitaker, which was witnessed by the General Manager, Jeff Peak, on
March 10, 2017. Subsequently, TJ and Courtenay went to talk to Dave Randall about
the unwarranted firing. Dave Randall then told TJ and Courtenay about the meeting
with Tom Ostenson and read the subsequent threatening text to Courtenay and TJ.
there would be enough tennis personnel to adequately staff the tournament and was
informed that Tommy Ostenson might be leaving town for an impromptu vacation and
would not be covering the Juniors Tournament. Meanwhile, Courtenay was on a court
giving lessons and Tommy Ostenson was on the court next to her with three women.
Tommy Ostenson and his clients were making fun of Courtenay and her players.
22. Courtenay found out later that morning that Tommy Ostenson was in fact
leaving for an impromptu vacation during the Junior Tournament. It is customary for all
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staff to remain in town during such an event hosted by River Hills Club. When
Courtenay asked Tommy, When are you leaving for your vacation? He said Saturday.
Courtenay said could you not have picked another day as we have to run the
23. Courtenay left the room and came back in and said to Tommy, You did
this to us last year. Tommy then proceeded to berate Courtenay by saying Get off
your high horse. I approved it with Dave Randall and it has been planned. Courtenay
saying, You do drugs and I did drugs and you are a pill popper and on drugs and youre
a liar. You made up all this about my family and you dont know what youre saying.
You wouldnt even hug my mother and she is a Christian woman. You assaulted my
25. Courtenay replied, Tommy you need to stop right now. You dont want to
go there. Courtenay then closed the door to the office at the indoor center so that Club
members and other employees would not be subjected to his tirade. In an effort to
diffuse his bullying and belligerent behavior, she told him You have no idea what my
family has been through because of your sister. We have had to get a lawyer and it has
Ostenson retorted, You are the biggest liar. You never got a lawyer and you would
never lose your job. You take so many pills you dont even know what you say. You
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made this whole thing up. Courtenay replied, Tommy, stop! You dont know what
talk to you. Courtenay said I dont need to talk to your father. I am done with your
family. I brought up your leaving for vacation during the tournament and you lost it on
me.
28. Tom Ostenson, father of Tommy Ostenson, then filed a formal complaint
regarding his personal issues with TJ and Courtenay with River Hills Club management
and the Board of Directors against Plaintiffs in order to tortiously interfere with their
29. On March 7, 2017, River Hills Club General Manager, Jeff Peak,
Manager, and Board of Directors members, John Ditto and Jennifer Boydston, to
answer questions about the formal complaint filed by Tom Ostenson, a complaint which
the Middletons were never allowed to see in order to confront the personal allegations
as asserted by Tom Ostenson. Stuart Whittaker, President of the River Hills Board of
30. Jennifer Boydston, member of River Hills Board of Directors, who was
handpicked to conduct the investigation, clearly had a conflict of interest, which she
never disclosed as required by 5.9 of the By-Laws of River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc.,
as she had recently hosted a baby shower for Tommy and Caroline Ostenson at her
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31. Jennifer Boydston, River Hills Club of Jackson, Inc. Board Member, was
also undeniably conflicted by her legal representation of Mr. Ostensons cousin, Bill
Lowe, in a divorce litigation. Upon information and belief, Jennifer Boydston also
improper insinuations by River Hills Board Member, Jennifer Boydston, like did you
threatened Ben Seales employment? She also made inappropriate inquiries like: tell
us about the incident with Ginger Ostenson at Tuesday Morning, where did the
argument between Tommy Ostenson and Courtenay take place? had they noticed a
difference in Ann Seale; i.e., did she appear to be on drugs? were Plaintiffs stalking
Ann and Ben Seale? Such biased and inappropriate questions were inappropriately
condoned by River Hills Club Management in a direct manipulation of the process and
34. On March 9, Plaintiffs again met with the same panel at the Board of
Directors request, and the President, Stuart Whittaker, again excused himself.
35. At the time Plaintiffs were being questioned about the complaint filed by
Tom Ostenson, Defendant, Tom Ostenson was out on the tennis courts enjoying the
moment playing tennis with Board member Joey Stroble and former River Hills
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36. Defendant, Tom Ostenson, has only been a member of River Hills Club for
two years, but apparently manipulated his way into inclusion in the select groups and
37. Neither Tom Ostenson nor Tommy Ostenson were ever questioned about
their role in this charade, and Plaintiffs Courtenay and TJ Middleton were subsequently
fired on March 10, 2017, while Tommy Ostenson conveniently was out of town on his so
38. Due to the inappropriate and calculated filing of the complaint with
Plaintiffs place of employment, River Hills Club, Tom Ostenson succeeded in causing
both Plaintiffs to lose their jobs, financially wiping out any source of income for the entire
family. If not for Tom Ostensons unwarranted complaint, Courtenay and TJ Middleton
would have continued working at River Hills Club for an extended period just as they
39. Courtenay Middletons family have been members of River Hills Club
since 1980; Tom Ostenson has been a member since 2015. Apparently, Tom
Ostensons close relationship with certain Board members ensured that his desire for
40. Cindy Hannon is a member at River Hills and started a petition to keep the
Middletons employed at River Hills Club. She put up signs in proximity of the club and
41. The signs showed a heart on them and said, We support Court and TJ.
While walking around the club and looking for signatures on her petition, she ran into a
few members playing tennis and asked them to sign; most did so happily.
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42. However, Ms. Hannon didnt realize who Tom Ostenson was and asked
him to sign. He confidently asserted, Im Tom Ostenson. Cindy said, Oh well, can I
ask you a question then, why did you file the complaint against the Middletons? To
which Tom replied, Well she didnt hug my wife. Cindy was a bit in shock that it was
such a ridiculous reason and said, Wait, what? You complained about them because
Courtenay wouldnt hug your wife? Tom replied, My wife is a hugger and she wouldnt
hug her.
43. Cindy persisted and asked him, Did Courtenay touch your wife in any
way? He replied, Oh no, not at all. Cindy attempted to ask Tom if he was aware of
how his son had berated and bullied Courtenay in the office the previous week and all
Ostenson has resulted in Plaintiffs unwarranted dismissal and has resulted in Plaintiffs
45. Due to Tom Ostensons influence over River Hills Management and
Members of the Board of Directors, no adequate investigation was done to provide any
substantiating facts on the side of Tom Ostenson or his son Tommy; however, due to
Tom Ostensons improper utilization of the River Hills complaint process for personal
vindictive reasons, along with his close association with several Board members, his
46. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates all averments set forth in paragraphs1
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47. The basic elements for tortious interference with an existing contractual
contractual relationship or expectancy; and (d) resultant damage to the party whose
48. There is no dispute that Plaintiffs had an employment contract with River
Hills Club which was extended by Club Manager, Jeff Peak, through the end of the
fiscal year (September 30, 2017) which was set to be renewed for another three (3)
year term. Defendant was aware of this employment agreement by virtue of the fact
that his son, Tommy Ostenson, was also party to such an agreement with River Hills
Club, and intentionally caused a breach and termination of the contractual relationship
and the expectancy thereof. Plaintiffs have suffered damages and will continue to suffer
them for Defendants actions in tortiously interfering with their employment relationship
with River Hills Club. In addition, Defendants actions were done maliciously with the
intent to cause Plaintiffs injury. As such, Plaintiffs are entitled to an award of punitive
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49. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates all averments set forth in paragraphs
actions have been such to evoke outrage and revulsion. Defendant, Tom Ostensons,
behavior has been malicious, willful, wanton, grossly careless, indifferent, and/or
reckless.
52. Plaintiffs have suffered both physical and mental injuries as a result of the
hearing of this matter by a jury, the Plaintiffs be granted the following relief in an amount
Respectfully submitted,
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Case: 25CI1:17-cv-00207-WLK Document #: 10 Filed: 05/18/2017 Page 13 of 13
OF COUNSEL:
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Louis H. Watson, Jr., attorney for Plaintiffs do hereby certify that I have this day
filed the foregoing with the Clerk of the Court using the ECF system which sent
notification of such filing or mailed, via United States Mail, postage prepaid, on all
counsel of record.
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