An 82-page draft complaint sent to officials in South Kingstown says former Superintendent Linda Savastano was the victim of a “dehumanizing disinformation campaign that was publicized and allowed to fester” by members of the South Kingstown School Committee and Town Council.

The claim accuses town officials of making false and defamatory comments at public meetings, violating the state Open Meetings Act by failing to notify Savastano that she’d be discussed at a public meeting, breach of a severance agreement with Savastano, and subsequently failing to pay her more than $66,000.

Under Rhode Island law, Savastano’s attorney Stephen Adams is notifying the town of his client’s intent to take civil action against town officials and giving them 40 days to rectify the alleged wrongdoings before formally filing suit. Town officials were notified on May 17.

“This case shows how quickly Linda Savastano’s long and illustrious career in education was damaged,” the document, which Savastano shared with The Public’s Radio, reads. “The defendants’ acts and/or omissions irreparably damaged her career, causing the public to question her integrity and her good faith.”The complaint places responsibility on town officials for harsh criticism Savastano continued to receive from members of the public, arguing that “the defendants’ conduct put a target on her, which led to prolonged periods in which Ms. Savastano experienced intimidation and fear.”

South Kingstown Town Council President Rory McEntee and School Committee Chair Paula Whitford did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McEntee, Whitford, and other members of the town council and school committee are individually named as defendants in the draft complaint.

The town council has placed a resolution on the agenda for its meeting Monday night to refer the complaint to the town’s solicitor, insurance carrier and new superintendent, Mark Prince.

Savastano declined to discuss her case beyond what is included in her attorney’s complaint.

Prior to leaving the school district, Savastano was under scrutiny in two unrelated controversies involving school records. 

One involved a town resident who received national attention and support from conservative groups after seeking school district emails and information regarding the teaching of race and gender. The matter became the subject of district-wide controversy. Two school committee members eventually resigned, and the superintendent faced accusations of hampering the process. 

The other case involved criticism of the superintendent for the release of student addresses that were later used by a union to send out political mailers in favor of a construction bond.

Savastano says she released the formally-requested records because she was required to under the state’s Access to Public Records Act and the release did not violate the federal Family Educational Rights Privacy Act.

Ultimately, Savastano resigned, giving her official notice in June 2021.

According to the separation agreement enclosed in the new draft complaint, Savastano entered the agreement with the school committee on June 30, 2021, and both parties agreed not to “criticize or speak negatively about the other.”

But Savastano’s lawyer contends school officials did just that in subsequent correspondences with other agencies. 

In August 2021, the school committee accused Savastano of approving the payment of services without following town bidding protocols and told her lawyer, in a letter sent by its attorney, the committee had notified the South Kingstown Police Department, Rhode Island State Police, and Rhode Island Department of Education. 

The committee asked the South Kingstown police to “investigate what appears to be a violation” that “potentially carries a misdemeanor penalty.”

In a letter to Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, the school committee’s attorney, Andrew Henneous, also writes that Savastano separated her employment with the school district “due to allegations of misconduct,” although the separation agreement enclosed with his letter does not reference misconduct. The letter also tells Infante-Green that the school department also contacted local and state police.

Savastano says she was never contacted as part of any police investigation and never charged with a crime.

Her attorney says the letters were sent with “reckless disregard for the truth” and placed Savastano “before the public in a false light.” Around that time, the town stopped paying Savastano her severance. 

The complaint also details specific public statements made by town officials. According to Savastano’s attorney, at an October 2021 town council meeting, councilor Deborah Bergner said actions taken by Savastano “could be criminal” and Savastano “should be held responsible for any and all crimes and things that she did.” The complaint calls those comments “false and defamatory.”

Bergner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint also includes excerpts from a report issued by the town council scrutinizing Savastano’s actions related to the mailer. Savastano’s attorney maintains the report includes “false and defamatory” information, including that Savastano cleared her laptop of emails, impacting the investigation into the mailer. Savastano says she was never given an opportunity to respond to allegations as part of the investigation. 

Since leaving South Kingstown, Savastano has not been hired as a school administrator in any other school district. A google search of her name brings up articles about her resignation and the controversies at the end of her tenure in South Kingstown.

In his draft complaint, the former superintendent’s attorney says, “Savastano’s extremely serious claims merit a significant compensatory award in her favor.”

Alex Nunes can be reached at anunes@thepublicsradio.org