A former executive with the Metro Nashville Airport Authority is suing the entity, alleging retaliation after his employment was terminated in the wake of a 2024 investigation into MNAA president and CEO Doug Kreulen.
Neale Bedrock — who served as the MNAA’s executive vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer from 2021 to 2024 — filed the lawsuit in federal court on Aug. 24. The complaint alleges Bedrock was terminated from his MNAA employment in an act of retaliation after he initiated an investigation into claims of race and sex discrimination supposedly carried out by Kreulen.
The lawsuit notes that in June 2024, Bedrock received a credible complaint from a senior executive with MNAA that Kreulen had created a hostile work environment for the employee based on her identity as a Black woman. Bedrock subsequently reported the complaint to the MNAA Board of Commissioners, initiated an independent investigation and acted as a witness in the probe.
The suit notes that Kreulen “progressively diminished Bedrock’s executive responsibilities and access” before he was eventually terminated. The plaintiff further claims that, amid the investigation, Kreulen learned that Bedrock had reported the complaint to the board chair and initiated the investigation. A member of the board later informed Bedrock that Kreulen had stated that Bedrock had “created this problem.”
Shortly after this, Kreulen allegedly stopped having weekly one-on-one meetings with Bedrock and stopped including Bedrock on communications with members of the board. In July 2024, Kreulen established five new performance objectives for Bedrock for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to the suit, three of the objectives required him to produce programs or documents and to “gain” approval of those items by the CEO or MNAA staff and board. Another objective required Bedrock to apply and be accepted to Leadership Tennessee, a highly selective statewide leadership program.
MNAA CEO Doug Kreulen at a press conference after the Music City Loop announcement, July 2025
The complaint reads that Kreulen, in August 2024, disinvited Bedrock from five previously scheduled strategy meetings attended by the executive team. In September, Kreulen changed the seating chart for board meetings to move Bedrock to sit with the general audience rather than his previous place sitting at a table with the board.
Bedrock’s employment with the MNAA was terminated without cause on Nov. 1, 2024. According to the complaint, Bedrock’s termination notice stated only that his services were “no longer needed,” and he was not placed on a performance improvement plan, issued any written discipline or informed that his employment was in jeopardy.
The complaint notes that Bedrock received consistently high marks on his semiannual performance reviews conducted by Kreulen, who wrote in one December 2023 review that Bedrock was an “exceptional member of the executive team” and “excellent at developing and recruiting talented staff to support the authority.”
Metro-appointed group meets to discuss lawsuit as state-appointed members go about business as usual
The lawsuit ultimately alleges that Bedrock’s termination was a form of retaliation and in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Tennessee Human Rights Act. Bedrock — who now serves as general counsel for the Metro Development and Housing Agency — is suing for damages including back pay, front pay, lost benefits and other compensation, actual and compensatory damages and appropriate equitable relief. Bedrock is represented by Yezbak Law Offices.
Scene sister publication the Nashville Post reported in August 2024 that an investigation found Kreulen was not involved in any dishonest or illegal behavior, though the allegations that prompted the investigation were never disclosed. This followed several closed-door meetings held by the airport board in relation to the CEO. Kreulen has served as president and CEO of the airport authority since 2017. He assumed the position after the airport authority fired its previous CEO, Rob Wigington, for allegedly creating a “culture of secrecy and concealment.”
According to the Nashville Business Journal, the airport authority last year extended Kreulen’s contract to 2028 while also giving him a 6 percent raise to make his total salary $636,000.
When asked for comment, MNAA told the Post the authority cannot comment on pending litigation. Kreulen did not respond to the Post's request for a statement.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
