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The lawsuit filed by former airport executive director Terry Anderson is scheduled for trial on April 8.
WTVA-TV in Tupelo reports that the airport board argues it had legitimate reasons to fire Anderson in December of 2009.
Anderson has claimed he was a victim of age discrimination. He says the board violated his First Amendment rights by terminating him for speaking to the media regarding a runway extension.
The board says in documents filed Monday that Anderson lied when confronted about who gave information to news media about a runway expansion.
The board also denies the firing was not over Anderson's age. Anderson was 64 at the time he was fired.