Developer files defamation suit against 2 Marion County men
Involves Facebook posts over River Gorge Ranch on Aetna Mountain
MARION COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – The company owned by Thunder Thornton has filed a defamation suit against two people over claims made on Facebook about his development on Aetna Mountain.
Thunder Air has filed the suit against Joe Blevins, Jr. and Ronnie Kennedy, both from Marion County.
The suit involves the River Gorge Ranch which is a mountaintop residential development which includes 7,500 acres and eventually 2,000 homes.
The lawsuit claims that Blevins and Kennedy posted false information about the development on Facebook, alleging there are abandoned coal mines underneath.
And they also posted negative comments about promotional posts for River Gorge Ranch.
It cites one post from February by Blevins stating, “Aetna Mountain has abandoned underground mines. Lots of them.”
And another saying “Anyone building on a possible underground coal mine need(s) to think about this. Aetna Mountain has numerous abandoned underground mines. Not just strip mines, but the more dangerous underground mines. I hope people realize what this possibly means.”
The lawsuit includes several other posts, including an allusion to “Swiss cheese” underneath it.
Air Thornton says the geologic survey they performed on the site found no underground mines.
The lawsuit claims both of the men harbor malice and ill-will toward the company from previous dealings.
