Suit says Fostoria official harassed man to death

6/21/2008

FINDLAY Fostoria Zoning Inspector Tiffaney Shaver has been accused of harassing a Fostoria man to death, in a lawsuit filed this week in Hancock County Common Pleas Court.

Annabelle Wedge and her son, Kyle Wedge, claim Ms. Shaver acted beyond the scope of her employment and acted under the color of law to maliciously injure and harass H. Gene Wedge, the husband of Mrs. Wedge and father of Kyle.

The suit names unspecified city officials as defendants, contending the city s deliberate indifference in failing to train and supervise Ms. Shaver also contributed to H. Gene Wedge s death on Oct. 15, 2006.

Charles Hall, a Fostoria attorney representing the Wedges, said the city issued Mr. Wedge numerous zoning violations and interfered with a land sale between Mr. Wedge and the Ohio Department of Transportation that caused him to receive $3,500 for property reportedly valued at $24,000.

On Oct. 9, [Mr. Wedge] went to the doctor and he got a letter from the doctor saying [Ms. Shaver s] harassment is so bad it s causing health problems for my patient, Mr. Hall said. Six days later, he had a heart attack and died.

Ms. Shaver could not be reached for comment.