Man Sues City Of Parkersburg

{Parkersburg, West Virginia}...Joseph K. Backus, of Wood County, has filed a $12 million lawsuit against the city of Parkersburg, claiming the mayor and chief of police conducted illegal background checks and defamed him. The suit, originally filed June 4th in Wood County Circuit Court, was moved to federal court July 2nd. Backus alleges his first, fourth and 14th amendment rights were violated when Mayor Robert Newell and Chief of Police Joseph Martin conducted illegal background checks and libeled him by providing his personal information to Parkersburg media outlets. In their July 3rd response, Newell and Martin denied the allegations, saying Backus is not factually, legally or equitably entitled to any relief, and the city's actions were rational and "in furtherance of a legitimate governmental interest." City officials' response additionally asserted any information disseminated was truthful.