Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova is no longer a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit filed by a county employee recently who was fired, then rehired.

U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson on Tuesday issued an order DeGenova's motion to remove her as one of the defendants in the complaint filed by Ricky Morrison against her, and all three county commissioners.

Morrison was fired from his county maintenance job in December after being seen sitting with the Republican candidate for commissioner,  Gino DiFabio during a board of elections meeting in November. 

Incumbent Commissioner Carol Rimideo-Righetti beat DiFabio in the November election.

Morrison felt he lost his job due to retaliation from Commissioners Righetti and David Ditzler, and had his lawyer, Subodh Chandra, issue a letter to the county demanding his client be reinstated or face an unconstitutional termination lawsuit. 

DeGenova, who was acting prosecutor at the time, responded through email by reinstating Morrison and claiming it was not the Commissioners who fired Morrison but County Administrator Audrey Tillis.  Morrison was reinstated.

Alleging secret meetings were held by the commissioners to fire Morrison, a federal lawsuit was filed against Anthony Traficanti, Ditzler, Righetti, Tillis, and DeGenova for various claims, including First Amendment retaliation. 

In a seven-page order removing DeGenova as a defendant, Judge Pearson found that Morrison submitted no evidence that DeGenova was involved in the alleged actions to fire him.

Judge Pearson excused DeGenova and her attorney from attending Wednesday's scheduled telephone conference on the case.