West Virginia
Court sides with West Virginia TV station over records on top official’s firing
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A termination letter involving a former top official at the now-defunct agency that ran West Virginia’s foster care and substance use support services is public information, a state appeals court ruled this week, siding with the television station that was denied the letter.
The public interest in the firing of former Department of Health and Human Resources Deputy Secretary Jeremiah Samples — who was the second-highest-ranking official in the state’s largest agency — outweighs concerns about privacy violations, West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals Chief Judge Thomas E. Scarr said.
“Public employees have reduced privacy interests in records relating to their performance—especially when the records relate to the conduct of high-ranking officials,” he wrote in a Thursday decision, reversing a Kanawha County Circuit Court decision from last year.
The appeals court judges demanded that the lower court direct the department to release the letter penned by former health and human resources Secretary Bill Crouch to Huntington-based television station WSAZ.
Crouch fired Samples in April 2022 while the department’s operations were under intense scrutiny. Lawmakers last year voted to disassemble the Health and Human Resources Department and split it into three separate agencies after repeated concerns about a lack of transparency involving abuse and neglect cases. Crouch later retired in December 2022.
After he was fired, Samples released a statement claiming the agency had struggled to “make, and even lost, progress in many critical areas.”
Specifically, he noted that child welfare, substance use disorder, protection of the vulnerable, management of state health facilities and other department responsibilities “have simply not met anyone’s expectation, especially my own.” He also alluded to differences with Secretary Crouch regarding these problems.
WSAZ submitted a public records request seeking information regarding the resignation or termination of Samples, as well as email correspondence between Samples and Crouch.
The request was denied, and the station took the state to court.
State lawyers argued releasing the letter constituted an invasion of privacy and that it was protected from public disclosure under an exemption to the state open records law.
The circuit court sided with the state regarding the termination letter, but ruled that the department provide WSAZ with other requested emails and records. While fulfilling that demand, the department inadvertently included an unredacted copy of an unsigned draft of the termination letter.
In this draft letter, Secretary Crouch sharply criticized Samples’ performance and said his failure to communicate with Crouch “is misconduct and insubordination which prevents, or at the very least, delays the Department in fulfilling its mission.”
He accuses Samples of actively opposing Crouch’s policy decisions and of trying to “circumvent those policy decisions by pushing” his own “agenda,” allegedly causing departmental “confusion” and resulting in “a slowdown in getting things accomplished” in the department.
The agency tried to prevent WSAZ from publishing the draft letter, but in August 2023, the court ruled it was WSAZ’s First Amendment right to publish it once it was sent to the station. Samples told WSAZ at the time that he supports transparency, but that the draft letter contains “many falsehoods” about him and his work.
In this week’s opinion, the appeals court judges said the fact that the draft letter was released only heightened the station’s argument for the final letter.
The purpose of the privacy exemption to the Freedom of Information Act is to protect individuals from “the injury and embarrassment that can result from the unnecessary disclosure of personal information,” Scarr wrote.
“The conduct of public officials while performing their public duties was not the sort of information meant to be protected by FOIA,” he said, adding later: “It makes sense that FOIA should protect an employee’s personal information, but not information related to job function.”
— Story by David Walsh, Photo gallery by Will Wotring
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Divisions I and II are going as expected after Thursday night’s opening round in the 78th West Virginia High School State Wrestling Tournament at Mountain Health Network Arena. University, seeking a third straight large school title, and Parkersburg found themselves in the top two in the standings on a night dominated by pins as No. 1 seeds would beat up on No. 4 seeds.
University started the event minus two competitors. One did not make weight and the other, who won a state title a year ago, is not competing as he’s recovering from a football injury.
One competitor delivering big for the Hawks is Maximus Fortier, a junior who transferred in from Fairmont Senior. While there, he won the state title as a freshman at 144 with a final record of 41-1. He competes at 165 now and is 36-2 after winning with a first-round pin Thursday night.
“Come down, support the team and try to win,” Fortier said of his battle plan. “Wrestle the way we know how.”
Fortier and the Hawks won the Ron Mauck OVAC title, the WSAZ Invitational and West Virginia Duals during the season. He competed in two major tournaments as well. He went 2-2 in the Ironman and won his weight class in the Powerade Tournament which attracts the top teams in the nation.
“Wasn’t ready,” he said about the Ironman. “Did my thing at Powerade. It was big.”
Fortier said support at his new school grows every day.
“They treat me like family,” he said.
Strategy for the State Tournament is simple.
“Wrestle the way we know how to wrestle,” Fortier said.
University capitalized on a strong finish in the heavier weights and leads with 47 points. Parkersburg, which finished second here last year, trails with 39.5. Cabell Midland is third with 37.5 and Huntington fourth with 32.5.
Ripley is in year two in Division II. The Vikings placed sixth a year ago. They came to town as the Region 4 winner and qualified 11 with nine taking first and the other two second. Ripley leads after Thursday with 38 points thanks to wins by pin or major fall. Independence is second with 27 and Keyser third with 25.5. Cameron is the leader in Division III with 16 points.
The tournament continues Friday with sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the girls have their state with action starting at 8 a.m. The boys begin at 10:30.
Championship finals are Saturday night at 6:30. Wrestlers are now seeded prior to the tournament and the pill breaks deadlocks.
During the season, Ripley won the West Virginia Duals, beat Herbert Hoover twice, Point Pleasant and also got wins over Parkersburg South and Huntington.
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
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