Fired Metro Airport CEO Turkia Mullin to fight for job back

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) - The next step for Turkia Mullin is likely arbitration.

Her contract as CEO of Metro Airport calls for arbitration in case of termination.

But her attorney, Bloomfield Hills-based Raymond Sterling, says he is looking at all of the legal options.

Mullin was fired Monday by the Airport Board, after weeks of intense scrutiny following a controversial $200,000 payment she received when she voluntarily left her job with Wayne County to take the airport job.

Mullin will fight to be reinstated. If that does not work, she will not only try to collect on what was left of her three-year contract, about $708,000, but she may go after damages.

"It starts really adding up," Sterling says.

Repeated requests from Action News to speak to Airport Board Chair Renee Axt and board attorney John Cashen have been denied.

A spokesperson for the airport say they are not interested in debating the issues in the press.

Sterling told Action News that Mullin feels let down by some of the board members who voted for her just two months ago and turned on her Monday.

Sterling has not yet filed a claim to get the legal process started. No timeline has been set, but Sterling says it could take months or perhaps a year.

"They would have been better off just leaving her in, and letting her work," Sterling says. "I don't know why they would want to do what they did here. This is going to cost them a lot more than just letting her do her job."