whitewater center lawsuit

In October 2016, Julie Axelrod, now chief litigation counsel of the Center, and Lesley Blackner, an environmental lawyer in Florida, filed a landmark case, Whitewater Draw v.Johnson, against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of nine plaintiffs, including individual environmentalists, environmental groups that object to endless population growth, southwest natural resource . The complaint alleges there is no record of counseling ever happening. The Whitewater Center is currently comprised of over 1,300 acres of protected land offering 50 miles of trail and access to the Catawba River and Long Creek. [45] In March 1999, Hale was convicted of the first charge, with the jury recommending a 21-day jail sentence. In October, Mecklenburg County commissioners required an annual operating permit from the county health department that can be suspended if the center doesnt meet water-quality or safety standards. Media pressure continued to build, and on April 22, 1994, Hillary Clinton gave an unusual press conference under a portrait of Abraham Lincoln in the State Dining Room of the White House, to address questions on both Whitewater and the cattle futures controversy; it was broadcast live on several networks. The lawsuit was originally filed in Columbus and was subsequently transferred to U.S. District Court in Charlotte. Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in warm freshwater-related activities. Dead animals and trash were commonly found floating on the waters surface, the employee said. She's also seeking compensatory and punitive damages "in an amount to be determined.". "[11][12][13] The business was incorporated on June 18, 1979. reports the center denied responsibility for Seitz's death but then closed the rafting feature for cleaning after a federal epidemiologist concluded its filtration and disinfection systems were inadequate. The 18-year-old Seitz, of Westerville, died 11 days after being thrown overboard and going underwater at the U.S. National Whitewater Center during a 2016 church trip. Western Center and partners worked to pass the first CROWN Act (SB 188) in the country, prohibiting discrimination based on hair style and texture by extending protection under the FEHA and the California Education Code. Home to the world's largest man-made whitewater river, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which sits on approximately 1,300 acres of land alongside the Catawba River, plays host to everything from Olympic slalom trials to family-friendly music festivals.. AfterSeitz'sdeath, the park closed and crews cleaned the whitewater feature. Sexual assault and misconduct allegations, Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, "Clintons Joined S.& L. Operator In an Ozark Real-Estate Venture", "Ray: Insufficient evidence to prosecute Clintons in Whitewater probe", "Clington Pardons McDougal, Hearst, Others", "Hillary Clinton Takes Questions on Whitewater", "Once Upon a Time in Arkansas: chronology", "Head of Failing S.& L. Helped Clinton Pay a $50,000 Personal Debt in 1985", "Untangling the Threads Of the Whitewater Affair", "Statement by Independent Counsel on Conclusions in Whitewater Investigation", "Supervisor of Whitewater Report Disagrees with White House", "Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association", "New Misstatements Admitted In Handling of Foster's Files", "Nussbaum Becomes Focus Of Whitewater Testimony", "Foster File Search Said Blocked by Ex-Counsel: Senate: Bernard Nussbaum went through the papers and described them to investigators, who did not get to look at them, witnesses tell panel", "Top Clinton Aide Gains Defender in Odd Quarter", "Cutler Defends Critics of RTC Investigator: Politics: Clinton aides reportedly asked about firing Jay Stephens, a GOP lawyer hired to probe Whitewater-related case", "LIPPO PAID HUBBELL AFTER CALL FROM FRIEND", "MCLARTY TESTIFIES BEFORE WHITEWATER GRAND JURY", "Washingtonpost.com: Clinton Aides Sought Help For Hubbell", "Washingtonpost.com Special Report: The Starr Report Grounds", "Fool for Scandal: How the 'Times' got Whitewater wrong", "Hillary Clinton's Fingerprints Among Those Found on Papers", "National News Briefs; Whitewater Report Finds No Proof of Tampering", "Why won't the government release the Shaheen Report? [34], As a result of the expos in The New York Times, the Justice Department opened an investigation into the failed Whitewater deal. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - U.S. National Whitewater Center-goers will soon have new sweater-season experiences: Ice skating and a decorated light trail. The Whitewater Center draws more than 800,000 visits a year and has total revenue exceeding $18 million annually. Fellow. Stadtmueller disagreed, concluding she was liable to keep documents as early as August 2018 when she first indicated interest in filing a complaint. A Guide to Reducing Your Health Care Costs, Breaking Barriers: Challenges and opportunities for Latino students, EQUALibrium: An exploration of race and equity in Charlotte, Falling short: Why Democrats keep losing most statewide races, EQUALibrium Live: Conversations on Race & Equity, NPR's Founding Mothers In Conversation With WFAE's Lisa Worf, Two Charlotte charter schools now face closure over academic and financial struggles, The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry, Arkansas woman pleads not guilty to selling over 20 boxes of stolen human body parts, The Senate holds its Supreme Court ethics hearing this week with no justices. [6], Bill and Hillary Clinton never visited the actual Whitewater property. According to the agents' official memorandum of that interview, Hale described in some detail his dealings with Jim Guy Tucker (then an attorney in private practice, later Bill Clinton's lieutenant governor), both McDougals, and several others, but never mentioned Governor Bill Clinton. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. Outside investigators hired by UW System concluded that Hill sexually harassed female employees and identified a pattern to his behavior. The goal was to subdivide the site into lots for vacation homes, intended for the many people coming south from Chicago and Detroit who were interested in low property taxes, fishing, rafting, and mountain scenery. The complaint also noted Kopper took 84 days to notify her cabinet and the campus that her husband couldn't be on campus. In court records filed this week, Blackbourn argued that the judge erred in his ruling and asked for reconsideration. According to the suit, the family alleges the Whitewater Center, "Negligently breached its duty of care owed to Lauren.". It also means the key question of whether UW officials did their job and followed Title IX, the federal gender-equity law, may remain unresolved in this case. It also prejudices the defense, who, with each supplement or change to prior responses which may be minimal in pieces, but all together is impactful are forced to scramble to amend their theory of the case.. UW System had no comment on the case's conclusion, spokesperson Mark Pitsch said. In its court filing, the Whitewater Center simply says it denies the most serious allegations in the Seitz lawsuit. [56], Deputy White House counsel Vince Foster looked into this matter, but did not take any action before his death. This story was originally published February 14, 2018, 10:55 AM. The case's dismissal with prejudice means it cannot be refiled in court. Starr's subsequent indictment of McDougal for criminal contempt of court charges resulted in a jury hung 75, in favor of acquittal. [50] These hearings intensified in May 1995, following the Republican gain of control, when the Republican Banking Committee chairman Al D'Amato also became chair of the newly formed Special Whitewater Committee. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is denying allegations that it is responsible for the death of a teenager who contracted a brain-eating amoeba after rafting at the park. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. [5] Susan McDougal served 18 months in prison for contempt of court for refusing to answer questions relating to Whitewater. But the lawsuit claims that administrators said they couldn't fire Hill because he wasn't an employee, but ordered him to receive counseling about sexual harassment. By the time the Whitewater lots were surveyed and available for sale at the end of 1979, interest rates had climbed to near 20%. (HENRY ROMERO/Courtesy USNWC) CHARLOTTE, N.C. Outdoor ice skating is becoming a popular tradition at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. [49], The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee also began hearings on Whitewater in July 1994. An Ohio family has filed a lawsuit against the National Whitewater Center one year after their teenage daughter died from a brain-eating amoeba infection after visiting the U.S. National . The lawsuit outlines multiple situations where System employees observed or were told about Hills behavior, but no reports were filed. On the call Stephanopoulos asked if Stephens could be removed. The 1,100-acre nonprofit facility in northwest Mecklenburg sits on county. She also claimed that James McDougal felt abandoned by Clinton, and told her "he was going to pay back the Clintons". CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An Ohio family has filed a lawsuit against the National Whitewater Center one year after their teenage daughter died from a brain-eating amoeba infection after visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte last June. Goettl-Vander Pass complaint includes stories from 10 other anonymous women who were subjected to unwelcomed kisses and hugs, groping and inappropriate comments from Hill. Apr 27, 2023. On Dec. 17, 2018, Kopper, Hill's wife, resigned amid the sexual harassment allegations. Rather than take a loss on the venture, the four decided to build a model home and wait for better economic conditions. Goettl-Vander Pas also deleted Facebook comments related to her allegations in late 2018, something Blackborn argued was prior to when Goettl-Vander Pas was expected to retain information. I'm glad I had the pleasure to know Lauren Seitz since middle school. COLUMBUS, Ohio The father of an Ohio woman who died after being exposed to a rare brain-eating amoeba at a North Carolina whitewater rafting center has settled a wrongful-death complaint. Vander Pas' lawsuit claims that UW-Whitewater knew about Hill's abusive behavior but took no action to protect victims and thereby violated federal Title IX statutes and her equal protection and due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. He cited concern about Blackbourn's "sweeping pattern of deception.". All rights reserved. [10], Following the land purchase, Jim McDougal asked the Clintons for additional funds for interest payments on the loan and other expenses; the Clintons later claimed to have no knowledge of how these contributions were used. U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller tossed the case late last month after the plaintiff, a former student, and her lawyer repeatedly failed to preserve, and in some cases withheld, records that UW officials requested during the discovery process. The first of those pieces appeared in February 1994, alleging a wide variety of criminal offenses by the Clintons and others, including Webster Hubbell. The suit was initially filed in June 2017 on the one-year anniversary of 18-year-old Lauren Seitz's death. [56] Due to the age of the mistake, the Clintons were not obligated to make good the error, but Bill Clinton announced that they would nonetheless do so. Hillary Clinton, then an attorney at Rose Law Firm (which is based in Little Rock) provided legal services to Castle Grande. Hill's wife, Beverly Kopper, was the campus' provost at the time. A listening session Thursday was a forum in which community members could share ideas on how to revive the Richland Center campus, or at least keep it on life support. "It's been a long road, a very long roadand it was not an easy decision to make", McDougal told the court. CHARLOTTE, N.C. A lawsuit against the U.S. National Whitewater Center was filed Monday, just over year after an Ohio teen contracted a brain-eating amoeba when she was rafting at the facili Read more top trending stories onwsoctv.com: 2023 Cox Media Group. Whitewater officials repeatedly defended themselves by saying that the amoeba is common in warm freshwater lakes and other bodies of water during the summer, particularly in the southern United States. Parallel to the Independent Counsel track, both houses of the United States Congress had been investigating Whitewater and holding hearings on it. [57] By 2007, there were about 12 houses in the subdivision, with the last lot up for sale by son, Chris Wade Jr., for $25,000. An Ohiofamily has filed a lawsuit against the National Whitewater Center one year after their teenage daughter died from a brain-eating amoeba infection after visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte last June. [56], Kenneth Starr's successor as Independent Counsel, Robert Ray, released a report in September 2000, that stated "This office determined that the evidence was insufficient to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that either President or Mrs. Clinton knowingly participated in any criminal conduct. WSOC TV facebook feed(Opens a new window), Teen dies from rare brain-eatingamoebainfection after visiting Whitewater Center, Lawsuit against Whitewater Center filed year after teen's death from brain-eating amoeba, USNWCreopens rafting activities after health department issues permit, Whitewater Centerwater drained after brain-eatingamoebafound, Rafters, kayakers back on the rapids at theWhitewater Center, IMAGES: 'Whitewater rafting activities' closed atWhitewater Center, Settlement reached with Whitewater Center in teen's brain-eating amoeba death, Charlotte surpasses 2018 homicide total after woman stabbed to death, Mom: United put North Carolina teen son on the wrong international flight, Man hospitalized after shot by girlfriend's ex, Concord police say, FORECAST: Heat, humidity rise as afternoon storm chances increase, Police search for man accused of recording boys in public restrooms, Charlotte bride killed, husband seriously hurt in wedding night crash, Fisherman pulls massive catfish out of Lake Norman, Bikinis, booze & bikes: Myrtle Beach rules to know ahead of summer, AA pilots picket outside Charlotte Douglas over contract negotiations, Another homebuyer says Keyo Tiny House didnt do the work, WSOC - TV Public File Contact / Program Director, WAXN - TV Public File Contact / Program Director. McDougal raised $35,000; $12,000 of that was in Madison Guaranty cashier's checks.[16][17]. [30][31][32] They did so with the approval of the first lady and President Clinton. Stadtmueller said Vander Pas' and Blackbourn's actions cost UW and the court to expend extensive time, energy and resources. Vander Pas deleted Facebook comments and left the autodelete function of her cell phone's text messages on even after filing her complaint. The House Committee on Financial Services had been scheduled to begin hearings in late March 1994, but they were postponed after an unusually angry, written communication from Democratic Banking Committee chair Henry B. Gonzalez to Republican Jim Leach. She was thrown overboard, causing her nose and head to go . A spokesman for the center declined to comment. Bakke is anything but ordinary with amenities such as a teaching kitchen, an eight-lane swimming pool, a rock-climbing wall and eight basketba. In 1986, federal regulators realized that all of the necessary funds for this real estate venture had come from Madison Guaranty; regulators called Castle Grande a sham. [59], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}361341N 922841W / 36.228N 92.478W / 36.228; -92.478 (Whitewater Estates). Mecklenburg County commissioners also began requiring an annual operating permit from the county health department that can be suspended if the center doesnt meet water-quality or safety standards. More women came forward, including Stephanie Goettl Vander Pas. Therefore, McDougal involved others to raise the additional funds. [41][31][32] Indeed, it was on this basis that Starr took on the Lewinsky investigation, under the umbrella of the Whitewater Independent Counsel mandate. During the time there was pressure for Hubbell to cooperate, Clinton's chief of staff Mack McLarty, Clinton aide Bruce Lindsey, and Clinton friend Vernon Jordan arranged for Hubbell to be paid from consulting contracts. You have permission to edit this article. Park officials previously have defended themselves by saying that the amoeba is common in warm freshwater lakes and other bodies of water during the summer, particularly in the southern United States. Seth Ward fell under investigation, along with the lawyer who helped him draft the agreement. The amoeba can infect a person when water goes up the nose and infections are rare, but almost always fatal. In May 1994, Fiske issued a grand jury subpoena to the President and his wife for all documents relating to Madison Guaranty, with a deadline of 30 days. [33] In the Starr Report, Starr said "the jobs and money paid to Mr. Hubbell by friends and contributors to the President had raised serious questions about whether such assistance was designed to influence Mr. Hubbells testimony about Madison-related matters". "If through depositions or documents they obtain, they think they can establish liability to another entity, whether it's the county or some other company, it's always possible they could move to add those parties to this case," Wyatt said. UW officials asked for Vander Pas' journals, diaries, blogs, text messages, medical records, emails, job applications and other documents relevant to her case. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The dismissal of the lawsuit could indicate the settlement has been accepted. In legal terms, this is called having "standing" to file the lawsuit. The Whitewater Center attracts more than 800,000 visits a year and has total revenue exceeding $18 million annually. The report concluded that James McDougal, who had set up the deal, was the managing partner, and Bill Clinton was a passive investor in the venture; the Associated Press characterized it as "generally support[ing] the Clintons' description of their involvement in Whitewater". By 1993, there were a few occupied houses on the site, but most of the properties were still for sale. The 1,100-acre nonprofit facility in northwest Mecklenburg operates on county property that it rents for $1 a year. Earlier this year, Channel 9 reported on a tentative settlement. Angela Major/WPR. In an emailed statement, UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch said system officials do not comment on pending litigation. It alleged Hill'shonorary appointment as Associate ofthe Chancellor by virtue of his wife's position, alongside the university's systematic failure to act, made women reluctant to speak out. Stadtmueller faulted Blackborn for letting Goettl-Vander Pas self-collect evidence, as clients may fail to disclose all information or omit documents given to their counsel. This was the first time in American history that a first lady had been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.

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