A local development company being sued by a former executive is countersuing, alleging she had an inappropriate relationship of her own, accessed confidential information and said a lawsuit was more lucrative than a severance package.
Thrive Cos., formerly known as Wagenbrenner Development, filed the counterclaim June 11 as part of an ongoing lawsuit the former executive filed in April.
The former executive, whom The Dispatch is not naming because she has made allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, sued the company and former CEO Kevin Zeppernick, alleging the former fostered a toxic work culture focused on partying and that concerns about her safety and that of others were not taken seriously.
In separately filed counterclaims, Thrive and Zeppernick each deny the allegations and make separate allegations against the executive and her legal team.
Marion Little, one of the executive’s attorneys, called the countersuits a “misdirection tactic.”
“One need only look at the text messages Zeppernick attached to [the executive’s] complaint,” Little said in a statement. “Tellingly, Zeppernick attaches nothing to his counterclaim. We are confident in the [former executive’s] claims and look forward to presenting all testimony and all documents before a jury in an open courtroom.”
Former Thrive Cos. CEO Kevin Zeppernick alleges relationship was consensual, claims attorneys manipulated texts
Zeppernick alleges in his response that the former executive’s attorneys saw text messages, parts of which were included in the April complaint, and knew that information in the complaint was false. He alleges that parts of the messages included with the April filing were purposefully manipulated and left out messages from the former executive that didn’t benefit her narrative.
Zeppernick’s response alleges the former executive demanded millions of dollars before suing and taking her allegations public. Zeppernick alleges in the filing that the relationship was mutual and consensual and that the company’s independent investigation supported this.
“A thorough, independent investigation revealed that the core allegations in [the former executive’s] charge … are demonstrably false,” the response says.
The former executive and her attorneys chose not to participate in the independent investigation, Zeppernick’s response says.
“[The former executive] and Mr. Zeppernick exchanged mutual declarations of love, sexual photographs and explicit discussions of sexual acts over an extended period of time,” the response says.
Zeppernick was fired in July for violating policies about personal relationships with direct subordinates.
Thrive Cos. alleges former exec had performance issues, previously reported unfounded sexual assault allegations
In its own response, Thrive says concerns had been raised for several years about the former executive’s performance, including over her leadership, judgment and professionalism with team members.
The response details concerns from other employees who accused the executive being rude and disruptive in meetings, failing to identify goals and priorities for those she supervised and overseeing an underperforming department.
The company also alleged in its response that when she raised concerns in 2020 about another employee being sexually assaulted, an investigation found the allegations to be false. The executive was in a relationship with the employee at the time, the company alleged, of which it says it was unaware.
Another investigation, resulting from concerns raised to company leaders in June 2025, found the former executive “actively participated in the conduct of which she complained” and that she “had demonstrated a multi-year pattern of problematic workplace behavior and managerial conduct,” the company alleged.
The company’s response also alleged that she told others “she could get more by suing Thrive than by accepting a severance package.” The company fired her in September for violating several workplace policies, including having a personal relationship with a subordinate.
In addition, the company alleges that prior to her firing, the former executive downloaded confidential legal records about a lawsuit another former employee filed. That employee and the executive shared an attorney, the response alleges, and the executive had no legitimate business reason to access the file.
What are Thrive and Zeppernick asking for in their counterclaims?
Thrive is asking a judge to determine there was a breach of contract and award monetary damages for the harm it has sustained as a result of of the lawsuit.
Zeppernick is asking for damages and for a judge to rule that the former executive’s attorneys acted inappropriately by filing a lawsuit they knew contained provably false allegations.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Thrive Cos., former CEO countersue in sexual harassment lawsuit
Reporting by Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Bethany Bruner, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
