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Teacher cites blog, sues school district
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 03, 2011)
Teacher cites blog, sues school district
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
A teacher on paid administrative leave from Berkshire schools is seeking $12 million in damages against a blogger and the school district, claiming they conspired to ruin his reputation.
The suit seeks individual damages in excess of $25,000 and compensatory damages of $2 million. Another $10 million is sought in punitive damages.
Raymond J. Harriman, of Windsor, filed the civil suit Feb. 15 in Geauga County Common Pleas Court. The suit names Scott Weber, his Burton Blog and the Berkshire School District as defendants.
The suit claims that Mr. Weber repeatedly wrote defamatory statements about Mr. Harriman on the blog and that school officials provided confidential information involving negotiations with Mr. Harriman that was included in blog postings.
School Superintendent Douglas DeLong said he could not comment on the litigation and referred the matter to the district's attorney.
Mr. Weber said he was advised not to speak about the matter by his attorney but questioned why he was named defendant. "I'm baffled as to why I'm named in it." He said he has never met Mr. Harriman and that he researches everything he submits to his blog.
The lawsuit claims that Mr. Harriman was targeted on the blog. "The defendant Weber is an individual and business owner who has written and published numerous false, defamatory and, at times, profane articles in the blog with the expressed intent to cause the plaintiff economic and professional harm without justification or regard for the truth," the suit says.
The suit references various articles referring to Mr. Harriman as a "booze hound," a "beer guzzling jock" and a "jerk." It also cites references to "taking the school district for a ride and a very expensive one at that."
Some refer to Mr. Harriman's May 2, 2010, arrest for failing to maintain physical control while under the influence. He was sentenced Dec. 10 on the charge and was fined $350 and received a suspended 180-day jail term.
Mr. Harriman, who has worked as a physical education teacher in the Berkshire district since 2002, initially was placed on unpaid leave but later was granted paid administrative leave. Although he was hired as the varsity football coach for Berkshire in February 2010, the school board terminated that contract last June.
According to the lawsuit, "The defendant Weber's stated purpose of these statements was to have the plaintiff removed as an unfit teacher while expressing his disregard for the legal process guaranteed to all, the procedural and contractual rights of the plaintiff and medical opinions."
The suit claims that statements were made "with malice and aforethought," knowing them to be "false, defamatory and untrue." In addition, it claims that statements were verbally repeated in public forums "with the direct purpose to injure the plaintiff's professional reputation or expose him to public hatred, contempt, ridicule, shame or disgrace and/or to adversely affect him in his profession and business."
In addition, the suit claims, "The defendant Berkshire, by and through its agents and/or employees, negligently and/or with reckless disregard, disclosed and published untrue and confidential information to defendant Weber for the purpose of publication, knowing that defendant Weber had published untrue and defamatory information about the plaintiff in the past." The suit contends, "The information disclosed was confidential, untrue and made in furtherance of Berkshire's desire to unjustly prevent the plaintiff from returning to work at Berkshire."
The lawsuit cites the statement that the "Berkshire board does not want him (the plaintiff) back at the school for any reason and that the board also does not want to pay him the entire amount of his 2010-2011 school year salary."
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