Back Bay, Springfield Schools Duke it Out Over 'Commonwealth': Reports

Boston, MA – Two schools in the Commonwealth are trading legal barbs over - well, the word "commonwealth."

In April, the Commonwealth School in Back Bay sued Commonwealth Academy for a trademark violation, alleging that the public confusion between it and the Springfield school is causing “irreparable harm” and financial woes that are “presently incalculable,” the Boston Globe reported.

The Commonwealth School is a private high school that costs $40,000 per year in tuition, whereas Commonwealth Academy, also private, serves underprivileged and low-income students.

On Wednesday, Commonwealth Academy fired back in a legal filing in U.S. District Court, arguing that the institutions are vastly different, with the exception of the shared name. It also accused the Commonwealth School of embarking on a duplicitous and defamatory campaign to force Commonwealth Academy to change its name, according to MassLive.

The legal filings allege that the Commonwealth School threatened to sue the host of Commonwealth Academy's website, forcing them to change their site address to MassachusettsAcademy.org; the headmaster of the Commonwealth School lied to accreditors and told them Commonwealth Academy's named had been changed to Communitas Academy; and the Commonwealth School told media outlets covering Commonwealth Academy that their named had been changed, MassLive reported.

But according to the Commonwealth School, the outcome of continuing negotiations has been unclear. According to MassLive, the Commonwealth School states in its lawsuit that the Commonwealth Academy's founder agreed through an attorney to stop using the name in May, but then reneged and eventually said the attorney was not actually representing him.

Commonwealth Academy is asking a judge to dismiss the Commonwealth School's lawsuit, given the distance between the two institutions - about 90 miles - and the different demographics they serve.

It also accuses the Commonwealth School of libel and is seeking compensation for damages and legal costs.