Newmarket School District Files Frivolous Lawsuit At Taxpayer Expense!

Newmarket, NH School Superintendent Todd Allen must personally reimburse Newmarket taxpayers for all legal costs regarding a frivolous lawsuit he filed in Rockingham Superior Court concerning NH Right-to-Know Law (RSA 91-A).

The lawsuit filed by Allen was filed in direct contradiction to a previous decision by the Court where the Court dismissed a Right-to-Know Petition filed by the district in which the Court strongly admonished the district regarding their responsibilities under Right-to-Know.
Allen’s new lawsuit not only has no basis in law, but it was also filed for unethical, immoral, and illegal purposes: to obstruct justice by hiding public documents from inspection relating to corrupt practices of the district.

The School District's legal team in the above lawsuit now consists of four attorneys: Barbara Loughman, Simone Washington, Timothy Mclaughlin, and Jay Buckey. One would think at least one of these attorneys would have read the Court's previous decision and explained to Mr. Allen the consequences of filing his lawsuit.

The Court can hold Mr. Allen personally responsible for reimbursing the school district for every penny spent on legal fees if the lawsuit was brought in bad faith, which it was. Of course, the attorneys involved should face consequences as well because the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys prohibits attorneys from filing frivolous lawsuits.

The lawsuit brought by Allen and defended by Loughman, Washington, Mclaughlin, and Buckey, in my opinion, is just one more glaring example of the state of ethics in New Hampshire by those most entrusted with exemplifying truth, justice, and moral behavior for the rest of us.

Jeffrey Thomas Clay, M.Ed.