Drury named in lawsuit by former employee

Drury University and a school leader have been named in a lawsuit filed by a former employee.

Plaintiff Lloyd Marshall alleges in the lawsuit that he was retaliated against by Alex Riddle, the school's executive manager of the facilities department, according to the May 20 lawsuit filed in Greene County Circuit Court. Riddle is also named in the lawsuit as a defendant.

According to the lawsuit, Marshall was able to hire at least six full-time groundskeepers and six student employees. Marshall alleges Riddle said “women were nothing but trouble” about a woman in her 20s who was hired, and he also made comments about a Black man who later was discharged. Additionally, the female employee later reported allegations of sexual harassment by Riddle.

Marshall alleges he faced retaliation for speaking up on the issues.

"In addition to reducing plaintiff’s job duties, Riddle also began a campaign against plaintiff to encourage him to resign, including complaining about the quality of his work, saying negative things about him, routinely yelling at him and generally treating him poorly," the lawsuit reads.

Marshall was later discharged, according to the lawsuit.

Drury declined to comment on the lawsuit. Marshall is represented by Ashe Law LLC. Attorneys have not been listed for Drury in the case as of deadline.

In the lawsuit, Marshall is seeking more than $25,000 in damages.

Riddle was hired by Drury University in March 2023, according to past reporting. He had owned and operated a family ranch in Carthage and previously worked for several manufacturers.