MEDIA – A member of the Civil Service Commission in the Borough of Eddystone contends that he was removed from that post and defamed during a council meeting by the mayor and a councilperson regarding his alleged criminal record, which the plaintiff says does not exist.
Michael Knowles and Julie Knowles filed suit in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 24 versus the Borough of Eddystone, its Mayor Allen T. Reeves Jr., Borough Council Member Karen Reeves and both of those same defendants in their individual capacities. All parties are of Eddystone.
“On Aug. 10, 2020 at a regularly-scheduled Eddystone Borough Council meeting, plaintiff Michael Knowles, a member of the Borough Civil Service Commission, was removed from the Commission without explanation. On Sept. 14, 2020, at a regularly-scheduled Eddystone Borough Council meeting which was broadcast and/or streamed on the Internet live and later published and maintained on Facebook and the Eddystone Borough website, a discussion took place regarding plaintiff Michael Knowles removal from the Civil Service Commission,” the suit says.
“Defendants in their official capacities as elected officials of Eddystone Borough and as individuals, falsely recklessly and/or intentionally with malice stated publicly at the Sept. 14, 2020 meeting that plaintiff Michael Knowles is a convicted felon with a felony criminal record and a problem with police. Defendant Karen Reeves also stated, ‘He paid to get it expunged. We have the original records. When the Borough Solicitor attempted to explain that he has not seen any record of Michael Knowles having a criminal record, defendant Allen Reeves stated, ‘He most certainly does!”
According to the complaint, Michael Knowles is not a convicted felon, does not have a felony criminal record nor has never been charged with a felony criminal offense, and does not have a problem with police. The complaint further denied that Michael Knowles has a felony criminal record, nor was any record ever expunged.
“Plaintiffs have been gravely hurt by the injury defendants caused to Michael Knowles’ good name, fame and reputation, and plaintiffs have been brought into disgrace and disrepute among their neighbors and diverse other persons who, ever since the speaking and publication of the false scandalous and defamatory words by defendants, have suspected him of committing larceny and believed him to be deserving of punishment and have refused to associate with him,” the suit states.
“The defamatory statements of felony criminal offenses are considered defamatory per se and as such compensatory damages must be awarded to plaintiffs. Defendants published and re-published the false statements of Michael Knowles’ criminal record at the public meeting on Sept. 14, 2020 and defendants continue to publish the false statements over the Internet by keeping the recording of the public meeting available to the public on the borough website, Facebook and YouTube. The false statements have grievously fractured plaintiffs’ standing in the community. The false statements constitute libel per se, as they are false and impute felony criminal conduct to Michael Knowles, injuring his reputation.”
For a count of defamation (through libel and libel per se), the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000 for special compensatory and punitive damages, plus interest and reasonable attorney fees as required by law.
The plaintiffs are represented by Joseph V. Catania in Media.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Delaware County Court of Common Pleas case CV-2021-007258
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com