House Speaker Mark Eves will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that dismissed his lawsuit alleging that Gov. Paul LePage abused the power of his office when he coerced Good Will-Hinckley, a Fairfield nonprofit, to rescind its offer to hire Eves as its president.

Eves’ attorney, David Webbert, filed on Wednesday the first notice of appeal, which will be heard by a three-judge panel of 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal ruled on Tuesday that when LePage threatened to withhold roughly $1 million in discretionary funding from the school last June, he was operating within the parameters of his duties as governor, and therefore was granted qualified immunity from Eves’ claims.

Eves accused the governor of using taxpayer money and the power of his office to prevent his hiring by Good Will-Hinckley, and contended that LePage’s actions violated Eves’ constitutional rights, including his First Amendment rights of free speech, free association and political affiliation, as well as his 14th Amendment right to due process.

Good Will-Hinckley serves youths through a host of counseling programs and support systems, and also runs a charter school that is partially funded by the state.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: