Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995                   TAG: 9504210112
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT                                 LENGTH: Medium

EX-BANK LEADER FILES SUIT

In the lawsuit, Euell W. Naff, 62, accuses executives of First Virginia Banks Inc. of Falls Church and First Virginia Bank-Franklin County of using him as a "scapegoat" for alleged sexual discrimination practices at the bank.

Naff, who announced he was taking early retirement last June, also accuses the bank of pushing him out of his job because of his age.

According to the suit, members of the Franklin County bank's board of directors - of which Naff was a member - met on May 26, 1994. A day later, the board's chairman, Rocky Mount attorney Keister Greer, met with Naff at Naff's home and advised him that the board was going to fire him because of a sexual discrimination claim against the bank.

Naff maintains that he never has been informed about the specifics of the complaint.

In June, Naff - who had been demoted to executive vice president of the bank and removed from the board - said he asked two of First Virginia's top executives if he could delay his termination until Jan. 7 by announcing his early retirement.

According to the lawsuit, one of the executives replied: "That's what I wanted you to say."

The suit goes on to state: "The unjust firing of [Naff] was an apparent attempt to conceal certain alleged discriminatory policies of First Virginia which [Naff], as president, was required to implement as a condition of his employment."

The suit was filed by Naff's attorney's, S.D. Roberts Moore and Paul G. Klockenbrink of Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore of Roanoke.

Naff was an employee of First Virginia for 19 years, and worked 11 years for Peoples National Bank, a bank that merged with First Virginia. He was appointed president of the bank in 1981.

First Virginia Bank has not filed a response to Naff's suit, and company officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

First Virginia Banks Inc. operates as a holding company, owning stock in 23 member banks. In the Roanoke Valley, it operates as First Virginia Bank-Southwest. Each individual bank operates as a distinct entity with officers and a board of directors.