Shaw goes for the kill
The lawsuit has been filed.
Tuesday morning, Dracut lawyer Roland Milliard filed a lawsuit on behalf of Dracut businessman and former selectman Warren Shaw for libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, the intentional infliction of emotional distress and malicious interference with business against Nashua blogger Frank Zabierek, who previously ran the blog Dracut After Dark.
The blog went dark last week when word broke that Shaw was preparing a lawsuit. Zabierek was given until Monday at 5 p.m. to meet demands set by Shaw and Milliard, but failed to respond, triggering the filing of the court action in Middlesex Superior Court.
The suit alleges that Zabrierek posted or allowed, in his capacity as moderator, others to post untrue statements about Shaw including allegations that he engaged in criminal behavior and benefited financially from the criminal acts of others.
Most of the postings are pretty racy and could not be posted on a family blog like this one.
The suit also alleges Zabierek or others posting on his site used false statements designed to hurt Shaw’s family business Shaw Farm, and called for a boycott of the business.
Additionally, the suit states the blog included “numerous allegations that the Plaintiff Shaw manipulates various elected and appointed officials in the Town of Dracut,” and that Shaw “manipulates these officials in a sinister way and not in the best interests of the town of Dracut or the citizens of the town of Dracut,” allegations that Shaw denies.
“Defendant Zabrierek published the defamatory and false statements with actual malice as (he) knew the statements were false or published them with reckless disregard for their truth or falsity an that they were motivated by hatred, ill will, spite, or by a reckless disregard for the Plaintiff Shaw’s rights with the intention of causing (Shaw) personal, professional and financial harm.”
January 31, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Its nice to see someone sticking it to this jerk. Good job Warren!
January 31, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Good luck Frank Zabierek. You’re screwed.
January 31, 2012 at 2:41 pm
What Mr.Zabrierek is finding out the hard way is that restraint of tongue and pen-and blog posts- carries a very high rating…..
May 4, 2012 at 10:09 am
I’ve lived in this town for over 20 years. I love this town, but sadly like a lot of small towns, it’s always about the “good old boys” club.
I remember when a nice little NY style bagel shop opened where China Maxim at RK Plaza is now. The owner wanted to put a couple of small tables and chairs outside for the summer months. He went through hell getting the town’s building inspector to approve it. After telling Warren Shaw at the gym one morning he replied, ” Don’t worry about them. A black wreath will be hanging on that bagel shop door soon. Dracut doesn’t want bagels.” I was worried that he (Shaw) was so sure of what Dracut residents wanted. Hmmmm, makes one wonder…so many years have passed since that shop closed and moved to another town. I can’t help wonder how many other small businesses could be in town if not for the red tape and “the good old boys”?
One more note of interest; comments posted on Shaw Farms Facebook page regarding anything negative seen at Shaw Farm by residents are immediately deleted. I guess that speaks volumes! Joanne Rich
May 4, 2012 at 7:39 pm
There are MORE than a few photos surfacing on FB of dead and/or dying cows at Shaw farm. One of Shaw family members (Sarah Shaw) claimed the cow was not dead, but not denying how sick and emaciated it was as it laid motionless on the ground of the barn. Several people were witness to the dying/dead cows left in the barn with the healthy ones yet Warren Shaw threatened once again to sue, sue, sue! Well, you can’t sue someone for slander if it’s true and there are photos to prove it! I hope this “good ole boy” gets his @ss kicked in court and that someone holds him accountable for animal abuse as well!