Monday, June 29, 2015

Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association hit with defamation suit UPDATED 3X

Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association hit with defamation suit

"A former Mt. Lebanon couple is seeking at least $35,000 in damages in a suit filed against the Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association, alleging board members spread false rumors about them and their children concerning drug use and stealing money from the organization, forcing them to move to Colorado. William and Katherine Bedortha say in the suit filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court that board members Kate Murdoch, Brian Prettyman, Jeffrey Iovino and other unnamed defendants defamed them by spreading false rumors through text messages and gossip around the Mt. Lebanon pool and other public spaces."

The couple, who lived in Mt. Lebanon from 2007-2014, were active members of the lacrosse community, where they coached and engaged as members of the lacrosse association’s board. The political environment of youth sports might have brought forth the rumors, according to the couple’s attorney, Bill Labovitz.

“We understand there’s a political nature to these types of boards and organizations, but the actions by association’s board members have gone too far and they must be held accountable,” Labovitz said. The suit goes on to say board members conspired a plan at a June 23, 2014, meeting to ouster the Bedorthas from their positions in Mt. Lebanon lacrosse.

Read more: http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20150622/NEWS/150629995

Update June 24, 2015 8:42 AM

Bedortha v Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Amended Complaint

Bedortha v Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Preliminary Objection     

Update June 26, 2015 12:47 PM The original complaint was filed on February 17, 2015. It appears that the sheriff was looking for Steve Gurtner. See comment under 02/24/15.




                                     
Update June 26, 2015 10:07 PM Doing a search for some of these names, I came across a September 15, 2014 post of mine, Field Sports are Getting Ugly Here in Lebo. Wow. I think the plaintiff's attorney was connected with Mt. Lebanon Soccer. Turns out he is a Lebo Citizens reader.
Recede and Reseed

51 comments:

  1. The website says David Brumfield is a lacrosse player.
    http://mtlebanonlax.com/Contacts.asp?org=mtlebanonlax.com
    Given the subject of this post, I will not comment at this time.

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  2. They are all listed as players, 7:07 PM. Lot of familiar names there, including the former head of the Sports Advisory Board, and who were pretty involved with the toxic turf project.
    Elaine

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  3. Defamation lawsuit in Allegheny County. That will go nowhere, very slowly.

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  4. LEBO LAX board members have gone too far and they got caught.

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  5. This is a classic example of adult:adult bullying and incivility. I hope this case, whether won or lost, exposes the depth and breadth of family mistreatment in Mt Lebanon at the hands of so called "youth coaches" and "volunteer" leaders. The ties among MTL Lacrosse Association, Dave Brumfield and Mt Lebanon Municipal Government will need to be exposed with special attention toward abuse of power by a commissioner who shared knowledge gained through his office to destroy the coaching career of a volunteer, parent and ultimately a family's ties to their community.

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  6. Must be something up with the finances. The school district, the Muni, and all the sports need to be audited and investigated. None of them have ever passes the smell test.

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  7. I updated this post. I wonder who John Doe is.
    Elaine

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  8. This is precisely what is wrong with this community and perhaps society in general. The over-emphasis of sports with parents living vicariously through their children. What example are they really setting for them?

    And you wonder why we can't buy enough turf or build enough fields. Good grief what is the matter with these people.

    Did anyone else notice the sign near Main Park for K-2 football? They have got to be kidding right?

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  9. Roger--- Are you serious? K-2 football? Don't the parents care that their Kids' brains would be rolling around in their heads?

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  10. 12:18 I invite you to look for yourself, I drive by everyday on the way home from work.

    Not to mention the toxic turf!

    Sports is the new opium of the masses...

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  11. However this turns out, it is very sad that this family was driven out of state, much like what I see here. The hateful trolls who regularly tell me to move if I don't like it here. The consequences that I must face because of my actions. Dead trees removed previously, but now the municipality won't touch. The commissioners won't answer my emails. The public information officer defaming my reputation to members of the media. The blatant lies that come from the PIO. Not airing public meetings, the same meetings where public comments and signs are forbidden. Having to call the police at the "not for the public" public meeting down at Dixon Field on April 24, 2014 because a sports dad made very clear that I am not to mess with him. Mt. Lebanon is a very ugly place.
    Elaine

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  12. I know this family well. They had nothing but good to give to the community and gave their all to the lacrosse program, St Bernard's Church and Mt Lebanon.

    The board should be dissolved and open elections held for the first time in its history. How can a 501c non-profit hold secret elections, spend lots of their constituents money with no accountability and not have open books or a budget for the families to review.

    These board members are shameless and an embarrassment to all Mt Lebanon and youth sports.

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  13. I find it strange that he was appointed to the board in January but removed six months later in June 2014. Elaine, do you have in your blog when the fundraising for the turf was completed in 2014? It is odd that a longstanding lacrosse supporter, controversial or not, would be removed from the association at the same time that Mt Lebanon sports groups finished their fundraising.

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  14. MLLA: I looked them up on Guidestar. Their latest 990 is dated 2013. It shows revenues of $115,855, and expenses of $135,291. So in 2013 they lost $19,436. What's interesting is that line 16 in part I, other expenses, shows $76,682 with the notation to "describe in Schedule O." So I looked at Schedule O - and there's nothing there! - no explanation - nada.

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  15. I wonder who John Doe is, and why he is special enough to not be called by name in the lawsuit. I hope my kids never play lacrosse.

    A.R.

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  16. My guess would be a minor. They probably didn't want to list the name because of it,

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  17. Bullying is alive and well. We have bullying programs in school, but with such poor adult role models, it is no wonder that kids engage in bullying.

    This made me think of bullying and unkind behavior in children, in general. One thing that came to mind is the Easter Egg hunt held each year in Mt. Lebanon. A cute event, right? When my children were very young, I used to look forward to this. But, after a couple of times, I decided to stop taking them to the Mt. Lebanon annual Easter egg hunt, Why? It was like a shark feeding frenzy - the parents would encourage the kids to grab each and every egg - even the eggs right next to a slower child. The poor toddler who was not fast enough would leave with an almost empty basket. This kind of behavior - not caring about the slower children, and just caring about "me", goes along and encourages unkind behaviors in children. It is no wonder that bullying is alive and well.

    Yes, I know this is off-topic - but it really does speak to the same issue.

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  18. 7:32 am. I don't think John Doe is a minor. Perhaps, John Doe is to be determined or confirmed through discovery process. Or, perhaps, John Doe is a family friend who betrayed the Bedorthas. Or, maybe, John Doe is a public official. Or, it could be that John Doe is all three.

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  19. As far as I know, PA courts do not use John Doe for minor. In other states, John Doe is used when identity is yet to be determined. Now, if it was Jane Doe, we could assume that she is one of those Hosta eating Mt. Lebanon deer.

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  20. Did the Bedorthas own the Lacrosse store in Castle Shannon. I know the owners moved.

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  21. What do you think went wrong with th3e Bedorthas?

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  22. The Lacrosse Association represented by an insurance defense firm. Insurance defense =. second and third- rate lawyers.

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  23. They got lacrossed!

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  24. PS - That's French for back stabbed...

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  25. Follow the M O N E Y! Only hope that within this group is an honest person that will tell the truth and the Lacrosse Association is torn apart and re-built with people that give a sh*t about the kids and NOT the politics.

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  26. On the MTL Lax Association website, they list 12 Association Board Directors. But then if you hit contact, all 12 Association Board Directors are listed there with one extra: David Brumfield.

    http://mtlebanonlax.com/Contacts.asp?org=mtlebanonlax.com

    I don't know how you figure out John Doe, Elaine or company, but wow.

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  27. I wonder if they will lose their corporate sponsors? Aetna & Dick's Sporting Goods

    http://mtlebanonlax.com/Sponsors.asp?n=94071&org=mtlebanonlax.com

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  28. I know that Brummie and this guy were friends. Brummie's kid was friends with their kid. Sure hope they don't expect Brummie to help them as good ole Brummie only CARES about himself. But I can tell you from first hand experience that the area outside the lacrosse field is the most dangerous. The parents and coaches throw out so much garbage. The rumors... Lies... And guess who I seems to be front and center in all these? Brummie. Maybe this ENTIRE community would be better off if he headed to Harrisburg.

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  29. Gee, backbiting and rumor mongering in Lebo? I'm shocked, shocked I say, to hear this is happening...
    Discovery means pulling emails and texts. All across the Bubble, one can make out the distinct dings associated with lacrosse parents hitting yes on the "Are you sure you want to delete?" box.
    Should be interesting for all of them to explain how they planned an executed an entire season without communicating. And it will be even more interesting to see some other names pop up during this process.

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  30. Although the comments count doesn't reflect it, this post is one of my popular ones in the 4+ years of this blog.

    Somewhat related, this heartbreaking op/ed piece. My fallen star Something to think about when signing up for K-2 Football.
    Elaine

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  31. *this post is one of my [most] popular ones in the 4+ years of this blog.
    Elaine

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  32. Oh, c'mon- when we going invite only???

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  33. Not with this going on, I'm not.
    Welcome to all new Lebo Citizens readers!
    Elaine

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  34. Elaine YOU have some very upset lacrosse people.... How dare YOU air their dirty laundry for all to see! After all you did promise to go private after all THEIR efforts to flood your site with crap. Want to up it Elaine? Ask about HUD $$$s to build Public Housing on McNeily and Castle Shannon Blvd. And guess what that money will fund. A LACROSSE indoor facility.

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  35. 12;34 how sad is it that I totally can see that happening. Just wondering when they hope to break ground.

    Something fishy with this lawsuit: why would plaintiff pick attorney with ties to mt Lebanon democratic politics?

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  36. To protect Brumfeld 1:58.

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  37. 12:34 PM, how about YOU filing a Right To Know about HUD $$$? Or file a RTK about an indoor lacrosse facility? You keep bringing it up, but never back anything up. Share it with all of us when you have some proof, OK?
    Elaine

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  38. 4:28, what sense does that make? Why would a plaintiff want to protect Brumfeld? Oh, because conspiracy!!

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  39. Sorry Brumfield but what should we all think about this? You back stabbed Bedortha but yet, he has an attorney that votes for you. So Brumfield likely told Bedortha he did nothing wrong, he wasn't involved and here is what he should do: get Democratic attorney and go after the same amount of cash that you essentially fundraised for the turf. Then we are even, Steven... that is if you don't count the whole, "How did i end up in colorado with my reputation trashed and my business closed?" part of everything.

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  40. I've learned that Mt Lebanon is egregiously behind the times in regulating the development and maintenance of multi-family dwellings. A family learned this afterthe ceiling caved in on their daughter's rental apartment. I was only modestly shocked because of ya, know, everything else that goes on in this town. But NOW I am wondering if they KEEP it that way so they can take money from HUD to develop horrible dwellings.

    BTW, the daughter was lucky she wasn't home or the ceiling would have fallen on her while she was sleeping.

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  41. I know this is off topic, but someone sent me a link to the low income housing tax credit application. The tax credit is for $1,049,016. It is for the Castlegate property. Thank you for sending this.

    If someone can send me some information on the indoor lacrosse facility, it would be appreciated.
    Elaine

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  42. The indoor lacrosse facility exists solely the imagination of the blog's paranoid conspiracy theorists. Right next to the boogie men under their beds.

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  43. Maybe so, 10:34 PM, but you never know what Lebo Citizen readers will find. Until 8:45 PM or so, I never knew that Mt. Lebanon applied for a tax credit of $1,049,016. I wonder what pet project that will fund. Who would have thought that MTL Lacrosse would be hit with a defamation suit?
    Elaine

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  44. Lebo didn't apply for the tax credit. Oxford Develoment did. For the Castlegate townhouses. You were at the meetings. You encouraged the folks in Brookline to read about it on your blog.

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  45. Yep, you're right. Hopefully that will be the end of all the anonymous HUD comments now.
    Elaine

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  46. Didn't Congress hold hearing a couple of weeks ago on HUD paying communities to change zoning laws so large public housing complexes could be built in wealthy areas? My sons are now in High School and since they started playing soccer we have heard that an indoor playing field was to be built. Now that soccer parents realize that they had been taken by the lacrosse crowd nothing including them selling out the entire community for money would shock us. I would ask our so-called Congressman Murphy but I'm blocked for life for daring to post a comment against his voting record.

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  47. The markings on the artificial turf fields middle and wildcat are definitely for lacrosse.
    It is now lacrosse first, then softball if nobody is playing lacrosse.

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  48. Invest your own personal money in a HUD housing project. There are laws against buying risky assets with public dollars. Commission beware.

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