Suit claims Valley Park mayor's secretary fired over affair

VALLEY PARK, Mo. (AP) -- Last week, he faced a flood. Now, the mayor of Valley Park is dealing with a sexual discrimination lawsuit.

Roxanne Ruppel filed suit this month against the city. She claims Mayor Jeffery Whitteaker fired her last year because city officials were upset that the two were having an affair. Whitteaker is married and declined comment.

City Attorney Eric Martin tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Ruppel was fired because she angered aldermen by asking for more money. He says he has no idea if Whitteaker and Ruppel had a relationship.

Valley Park sits along the Meramec River in southwest St. Louis County. The town's new levee held back flood waters last week, when the river reached more than 20 feet above flood stage.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com