By Doug La Rocque
On Monday former Supervisor Frank Higgins personally served town officials with a notice of claim, alleging among other things, slander and harassment, resulting from a December 9, 2015 court proceeding in Brunswick Town Court. [private]Mr. Higgins was facing a criminal charge that resulted from a confrontation with then Deputy Town Clerk Cathy Goyer. The charge against Mr. Higgins was dismissed. It is his contention in the notice that testimony given by Goyer, Councilman Mike Crandall and then Councilman Rick Ungaro defamed him.
Current Town Supervisor Ingrid Gundrum said she could not comment because the matter may become the subject of litigation. This notice is not itself a lawsuit, but preserves the right of Higgins to pursue the claim if he wishes. The notice asks for damages of $1 million. The matter was been turned over to Town Attorney Sal Ferlazzo.
Higgins is now the second former Supervisor to sue the Town in recent years. Tyler Sawyer brought a suit against the Town for one million dollars after a resignation letter from a former Town Bookkeeper, which he said was injurious to his reputation, was read out loud at a Town Board meeting. That matter was settled out of court, and the Town’s insurance carrier paid Sawyer $29,000.[/private]