Ex-sheriff signals he’ll sue schools
Lawman’s name was used hypothetically in online exercise
An attorney representing former Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman has notified the county school system that he intends to sue for libel and slander.
Attorney T. Joseph Touhey sent the school system the letter, addressed to Superintendent George Arlotto, describing an online government lesson used by teachers at Arundel High School as a document that embarrassed Bateman.
“The publication of this document by Department of Education employees, and the distribution of this statement in the
Anne Arundel County community, has caused grave embarrassment and damage to the reputation of Ron Bateman in the Maryland community,” according to a copy of the letter dated Oct. 1 obtained by The Capital.
The school system did not respond to a request for comment.
In September, U.S. government teachers asked students to select an answer after a promptoutlined ahypothetical scenario in which police pulled over three separate people with illegal drugs in their cars. Batemanwas on the list aswas NBA Basketball star LeBron James.
Touhey said he has not yet heard a response from the school system, but he is concerned the government lesson had initially been approved and used, despite using the name of a former public figure.
“He’s now a private citizen trying to make a living like everybody else, and all of a sudden, his name is being spread around as a sheriff having drugs in his car,” Touhey said.
Though the class exercise was hypothetical, Touhey said his client was upset, and his reputation in the county communitywas impugned by it.
The Arundel High School principal sent out a letter apologizing to the community. She removed the question from Google Classroom after hearing of the class exercise.
“We wanted to be honest and admit that we hadmade a mistake by attaching names to ahypothetical situation. We’ve corrected that mistake, and all parties involved have been made very aware of the error of our ways,” Davenport said in an interview with The Capital last month.
Previously, school spokesman BobMosier said the superintendent contacted Bateman to apologize and called the exercise unacceptable.
But the question had surfaced on social media.
Corine Frank, a candidate for District 3 school board elections, posted a screenshot on her campaign page. Candidate IndiaOchs in District 6 reposted the screenshot to a Facebook page.
Educators intended to use the question to outline the rule of law and point to systemic issues in the justice system said Davenport earlier this semester.
Touhey said using thenameof acommunity member, even in a hypothetical situation, was outrageous.
“This is an absolute cloud on (Bateman)’s public reputation and accomplishments,” Touhey said.
Bateman was defeated in the Republican 2018 primary by now county Sheriff Jim Fredericks.