The suit named Visit Topeka, Patel, Michaud, Young, James W. Parrish, Tom Escalante, Econolodge Tope

Olivia Simmons was president and chief executive hampton inn and suites officer of Visit Topeka Inc. from January 2009 through the end of December 2012 under a series of one-year contracts. Visit Topeka, which attempts to attract travelers to the city, announced her contract wouldn't hampton inn and suites be renewed Nov. 30, and Simmons filed a wrongful termination suit Friday in Shawnee County District Court.
The suit stated six board members, all of whom are affiliated with the hotel industry, "conspired" hampton inn and suites to "monopolize" Visit Topeka resources to bring in visitors who would spend the night instead of also marketing hampton inn and suites the city to people who would make day trips — allegedly misusing public money from the city's transient guest tax to further their own interests. The suit states Simmons is seeking "in excess of $75,000" and "further relief as the court deems just and proper" for wrongful termination.
Barbara Wiggins, executive director of the Topeka Performing Arts Center, had been a member hampton inn and suites of the Visit Topeka board. She said she had resigned to protest the decision not to renew Simmons' contract.
Wiggins said she was present at a meeting in November and told the other members she would have to leave early because of a commitment for work. The contract hampton inn and suites wasn't on the agenda, and no one had told her it would come up when the board went into executive session, she said.
The lawsuit said defendants Dean Patel, William hampton inn and suites M. Michaud, A Kurt Young and Kevin Smith "harangued, cajoled, manipulated and badgered" other members into voting not to renew Simmons' contract. Wiggins said she felt that was an accurate characterization of the discussion.
Visit Topeka board member Karl Fundenberger corroborated that the discussion of whether to renew Simmons' contract hadn't been on the agenda. He declined to comment on Simmons' characterization of the discussion or on his own vote, though he did say the vote was split.
The suit named Visit Topeka, Patel, Michaud, Young, hampton inn and suites James W. Parrish, Tom Escalante, Econolodge Topeka, Super 8 Motel at Forbes Landing, Capitol Plaza Hotel, Topeka Clubhouse Inn and Suites, Parrish Hotel Corp., Hotel Partners Inc., Fairlawn Hotel Partners LLC and Tenth Street Hotel Partners LLC as defendants.
Smith referred questions to Patel, who is board chairman for Visit Topeka. None of the other defendants could be reached for comment hampton inn and suites Tuesday. hampton inn and suites Wichitan Mark Ayesh, of Ayesh Law Offices, who is representing Simmons in the lawsuit, also declined comment, and Simmons couldn't be reached Tuesday.
The lawsuit named Parrish hampton inn and suites as the most influential of the hotel professionals on the board and alleged that he had used his influence as a well-known figure in Topeka business and politics to gain support for letting Simmons' contract expire.
Wiggins said she walked out in protest because those who opposed renewing the contract had enough votes to prevail, and she resigned from the board over the incident. She said she felt Simmons had performed well as CEO and had brought several events to Topeka.
Having outstanding hotels in the city is great. But we have so much more to offer than simply a stop on the highway. We have substantial history here in Topeka and if handled correctly hampton inn and suites we could do much more with it and our tourism. There is an undercurrent of people who are becoming more and more aware of the past of our town and it makes us all proud. It really is something to brag about