CLAYTON St. Louis County Circuit Judge John Ross denied on Friday a motion to remove Rhea Willis from her post as a Northeast fire board director.

Last week, the prosecuting attorney's office asked the court to remove from office the troubled board's other member, Robert Edwards, alleging Edwards had conducted district meetings without a quorum and majority vote of the board.

Edwards' response, due today, included a request to remove Willis. But assistant prosecuting attorney Bart Calhoun argued that Edwards and board attorneys Elbert Walton Jr. and Bernard Edwards Jr. lacked standing to make that request, and Ross agreed.

The prosecuting attorney's office is seeking to have Edwards ousted with a "petition in quo warranto," a rarely used legal action that challenges a person’s right to hold public office. Only the state prosecuting attorney's and attorney general's offices have the authority to take such action.

A hearing in Edwards' case has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 13.

In another board-related matter, a hearing has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday for Willis and Edwards to meet to agree on bills to submit to the court for payment.

A fire board meeting Thursday night intended to hammer out such an agreement ended in a deadlock, with no agreement struck.