A resident told the council that legal fees and damages have been sought after the town lost an anti-SLAPP ruling, and asked whether taxpayers will pay. The council also created an empty litigation fund that officials said needs a vote before any money goes in.
Burrillville, R.I. — A Pascoag resident used public comment at Wednesday night’s Burrillville Town Council meeting to ask who will pay the legal fees and damages tied to the town’s lawsuit against a local resident. The resident said a judge had ruled against the town, according to the Burrillville Town Council’s published meeting recording.
The speaker, who lives on Darcy Lane, told the council the town had filed the suit against a resident and lost. She said the judge granted the resident’s anti-SLAPP motion. A SLAPP, or strategic lawsuit against public participation, is a suit that targets someone for speaking out or petitioning government. Rhode Island’s anti-SLAPP law allows a court to dismiss such claims.
How the case began
The dispute grew out of the town’s project to install an artificial turf field at Burrillville High School. A resident opposed the project over concerns that chemicals from the synthetic field, including PFAS, could reach local drinking water. That resident also argued the project skipped proper planning and zoning review, and took legal action against the town…