Somerville Mayor Sues Barstool Sports, Kirk Minihane

SOMERVILLE, MA — The ongoing feud between Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Barstool Sports has hit the courts. Curtatone announced Monday he has filed a civil lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against Barstool and former WEEI host Kirk Minihane, who recently joined Barstool's staff.

Curtatone said the suit stems from an interview Minihane conducted with Curtatone over the phone in which he pretended to be Boston Globe reporter Kevin Cullen. Barstool later posted the interview on its website.

"It's a clear violation of Massachusetts General Law, which forbids audio recording a person without his/her consent, and you can't obtain that consent through fraudulent means," Curtatone tweeted. "Barstool flaunts its lack of respect for most things, but it needs to respect the laws that govern the business it conducts."

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, known as El Presidente, said Minihane did not work for the company at the time of the allegations listed in the complaint. Meanwhile Minihane joked that he's looking to countersue for $500 billion.

Barstool Sports was founded in Milton in 2003. It started as a free newspaper offering gambling advertisements and fantasy sports projections and later expanding to include sports analysis and pop culture news. The company, now owned by The Chernin Group, runs a media conglomerate that includes podcasts and other streaming services.

The brand is no stranger to controversy. Portnoy frequently hits back against critics by citing Barstool's history of fundraising for first responders, military members and victims of attacks like the Boston Marathon bombing and Pulse nightclub shooting.

The bad blood between Curtatone and Barstool goes back to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Bruins put the Barstool Sports logo on rally towels handed out at TD Garden.

Boston Herald columnist Jessica Heslam criticized the team (Boston Herald link: subscription required) for its partnership, writing, "The NFL saw fit to kick Portnoy out of the Super Bowl. The Bruins should know better. And they can do better."

Curtatone shared the story, tweeting in part, "As a fairly rabid sports fan one of the more regrettable things I've seen is the attempt to disguise misogyny, racism & general right wing lunacy under a 'sports' heading."

The charges of misogyny and racism, which have dogged Barstool for years, caught Portnoy's eye. Portnoy published a blog in which he wrote Curtatone "appears to be a legitimate criminal." The piece included screenshots and links to stories about allegations involving Curtatone and members of his family.

Portnoy challenged Curtatone to a debate, prompting the mayor to call Barstool and its fans a "cult."

Minihane's interview with Curtatone was published on Barstool June 6.