Fairfield RTM Member Sued Over Facebook Post: Court Documents

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Fairfield man is suing a Representative Town Meeting member over a Facebook post in which the local official criticized comments the man made about racial issues in town, according to court documents.

Jason Gladstone in a complaint dated May 4 sought thousands in monetary damages and accused town meeting member Laura Karson, D-District 4, of intentional and negligent emotional distress, defamation and false light.

“It has affected my emotional wellbeing, my business relationships, my business reputation, my relationships with people of my community, my children and has severely and emotionally damaged me,” Gladstone, a New Canaan attorney, said in an affidavit.

Karson last week filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, citing her rights to free speech, government petition, and association with a matter of public concern. She also argued Gladstone failed to demonstrate why his claims should not be dismissed.

Neither Karson’s nor Gladstone’s attorneys returned a message Wednesday afternoon requesting comment.

The conflict that resulted in the complaint was born out of an email sent March 19 by Fairfield Schools Superintendent Mike Cummings, in which he noted increasing violence against Asian Americans, acknowledged the need for the community to recognize inherent biases and committed to anti-racism within the school district, according to court documents.

Gladstone quickly responded to the email, calling Cummings’s statements “out of touch” and “truly disappointing,” and copying parents and elected officials, including Karson, court documents said.

“I am truly offended that you would insinuate that I am inherently racist or biased,” Gladstone wrote, court documents said. “You are truly out of bounds with your message and I am concerned that you are incapable of understanding this community and the people that reside here. Shocking would be a good word to describe your message”

Five days later, and following several additional responses to Cummings’s communication, Karson emailed First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, asking her to defend Cummings and stating that Gladstone’s words were an example of white fragility, court documents said. After sending the email, Karson posted a copy of the message in the political advocacy Facebook group Fairfield Standing United.

“These are tough times for all of us, but tearing down an educator, accusing him of calling other racists, when in fact he was trying to share his own reflections and ask for everyone in the community to do better, will not lead to a stronger Fairfield,” Karson wrote to Kupchick, according to court documents.

Gladstone demanded a retraction and threatened civil action, according to court documents, which said Karson removed the Facebook post and retracted her comments. Gladstone still served her with a lawsuit.

Gladstone also sought a prejudgment remedy, arguing that Karson should pay him $1 million, but it was denied, according to a court order.

Additionally, Gladstone filed but later withdrew a motion to cite several more defendants, including multiple people connected to the Democratic Party in Fairfield, who he claimed posted defamatory comments related to Karson’s statement, court documents said.