YOUNGSTOWN - A Trumbull County employee is appealing a federal judge's dismissal of her $1 million defamation and discrimination lawsuit against the Trumbull County Commissioners.

Attorney Dennis Fogarty filed a notice in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of client Lisa DeNunzio Blair.

Late last month, U.S. District Judge John Adams dismissed Blair's complaint claiming she was denied a promotion to an assistant clerk position in retaliation for previously filing a complaint against Commissioner Niki Frenchko.

Blair had reported Frenchko to her supervisors and the Director of Human Resources about alleged cyber-bullying, sending harassing emails to Blair, and accusing Blair of being a liar.

In dismissing the suit, Judge Adams found that the specific facts alleged to have been engaged in by Frenchko, coupled with the fact the Board has no authority over Frenchko, led Judge Adams to conclude that Frenchko was not acting as the Board’s agent when engaged in the alleged conduct.

Frenchko has previously denied the allegations.