A federal lawsuit filed against American Specialty Alloys, an upstart aluminum company that toyed with locating in Lowndes County, has been withdrawn, according to the company’s spokesperson.
Brian Wigley, vice president of communications with ASA, told The Dispatch last week the lawsuit Naum Kaplan filed against ASA has been withdrawn.
Kaplan, the former vice president of technology with ASA, filed the suit in U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania in late June. The suit, which named ASA and its CEO Roger Boggs as defendants, alleged that Kaplan was not paid any of the salary promised to him.
Kaplan was seeking $167,426 in pay in addition to interest and court costs.
Wigley indicated to The Dispatch last week that the suit was withdrawn Wednesday. However, a federal court system database did not indicate the withdrawal as of this morning.
Julian Neiser, a Pittsburgh-based attorney representing Kaplan, declined to comment.
In February, ASA announced it would construct a 1.4 million square-foot plant in Pineville, Louisiana, that would produce more than 600,000 tons of aluminum sheet and plate annually. ASA said it would begin operations in late 2016.
The announcement that the plant would be built in Louisiana came after the Golden Triangle Development LINK pulled an offer of 826 acres in Lowndes County away from the company last year. LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins told The Dispatch the move to pull the land came after Boggs would not answer questions about the proposed project, which ASA initially indicated would be worth $1.2 billion and employ more than 600 people.
Kaplan’s lawsuit claims that “despite performing as an employee for ASA since January 12, 2015, ASA has failed to pay Kaplan a single penny of wages to which he is entitled….the failure of ASA to compensate Kaplan is an intentional act by ASA and Boggs to obtain Kaplan’s service at no cost.”
The suit claims Kaplan was offered an annual salary of $250,000 and benefits that included six weeks paid vacation. The suit alleged that Kaplan never saw a dime in the months he spent working for ASA.
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