'West End' vs. 'West Louisville' debate results in lawsuit against councilwoman

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Donna Purvis is facing a lawsuit from a constituent who claims she caused police to come to his home and sent a defamatory letter to his employer, causing him to be terminated, after he criticized her for allegedly saying “West End” instead of “West Louisville.”

Attorney Shaun Wimberly filed the lawsuit on March 5 in Jefferson Circuit Court on behalf of James Frazier.

According to Wimberly, Frazier is a resident of District 5, which covers most of the West End and is represented by Purvis, a Democrat.

“The Councilwoman used her position to basically get this man fired for him speaking in the term of his free speech,” Wimberly said of his client, who was employed by the Archdiocese of Louisville until December as a church administrator and business manager for Christ the King Church in the Chickasaw neighborhood.

Lawsuits represent only one version of events in a legal dispute. Contacted by The Courier Journal, Purvis said she was advised by counsel not to comment on the lawsuit.

A motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Purvis’ attorneys argued the court lacked jurisdiction, as the dispute related to “church governance.” It also said the language in Purvis’ letter was not defamatory, Purvis did not wrongfully terminate Frazier, and that Frazier “cannot prove” Purvis was responsible for police visiting his home.

According to the lawsuit, on Feb. 23, 2023, Frazier called Louisville TV station WDRB to voice his opposition to the term “West End” during a story on the 10 p.m. news in which Purvis was being interviewed.

He then allegedly texted Purvis by responding to a text she had sent him and 10 other people the day before.

“WE ARE WEST LOUISVILLE…” he wrote. “I’m SICK of it!!! Not west end!!!!!!!”

In the texts, Frazier then told Purvis he called WDRB and told them to tell her the area was called “West Louisville” and not the West End.

“If I have to Come To The next Media Event that you will Speak at I’ll Show Up and correct You!!!” he added. “So Get the Fu-k use to it!!! It’s WEST LOUISVILLE!!!”

More than two weeks later, on March 7, Frazier said a Louisville Metro Police detective showed up at his home and began to question him about the text messages.

Frazier, the lawsuit said, told the detective he was exercising his First Amendment right to free speech.

According to the lawsuit, the detective called Frazier later that day to say “he had nothing to worry about because he had not done anything unlawful.”

An LMPD spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing the pending litigation.

The western part of Louisville is commonly referred to as the West End, though it is sometimes referred to as West Louisville. The Courier Journal often uses West End, and sometimes "west Louisville," but avoids the capitalized "West Louisville" term, because that is the name of a community in western Kentucky's Daviess County.

Two weeks after his interaction with the LMPD detective, Frazier received a certified letter from Purvis that she said was written on the advice of the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, the lawsuit claims.

“I want absolutely no contact with you,” the letter stated, according to the lawsuit. “Do not come to my home. Do not call my home, my cell phone or text me. Do not send me letters. Do not come to my place of employment.”

If Frazier did so, the letter said, “I will seek all available legal remedies, including possibly filing a criminal warrant for harassment/and or criminal trespassing.”

In a statement, Jefferson County Attorney spokesman Josh Abner said: "As our office does when contacted by any citizen who receives communications about which they are concerned, we suggested to Councilwoman Purvis that she speak with the Warrant Intake unit in our Criminal Division."

Abner said the Warrant Intake unit "suggests individuals send a cease-and-desist letter if the prosecutor determines the unwelcome communications did not reach the level of criminal charges."

A copy of a sample cease-and-desist letter provided by Abner matched language used in the letter cited in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit denies Frazier ever visited Purvis’ home or place of work. The lawsuit said Frazier told police he never texted Purvis before the Feb. 23, 2023, messages.

“The written statement was made intending to charge that Plaintiff had been criminally harassing a public official, and that the Plaintiff was a hostile and threatening person. Defendant made the statement knowing it was false,” the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, the letter was cc'd to Shelton Fabre, the Archbishop of Louisville, who oversees the Archdiocese.

Three days after Frazier received the letter, a supervisor emailed him about it, the lawsuit said.

In emails between “top level” supervisors within the archdiocese, the lawsuit said, a supervisor wrote “[i]it is unclear why Councilwoman Purvis copied the Archbishop but since she did we need to have a response ... so we can determine what action we may need to take. Archbishop is anxious to hear.”

On Dec. 26, the lawsuit said, Frazier was terminated.

In an email to The Courier Journal, Archdiocese of Louisville Chief Communications Officer Cecilia Price said the archdiocese does not comment on personnel issues.

Last year, Purvis was accused of violating campaign finance laws and failing to report donations in a complaint sent to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Earlier this week, Louisville Public Media reported Purvis accumulated nearly $20,000 in potential fines after failing to file campaign donation disclosures on time.

Reach reporter Josh Wood at jwood@courier-journal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @JWoodJourno.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: West End or West Louisville debate results in suit against councilor