Former Milford police chief reaches $75K settlement in defamation suit against town
MILFORD — After nearly six years, former Police Chief — and current Select Board member — Thomas O'Loughlin's legal battle against the town is over.
The town will pay $75,000 as part of a settlement with O'Loughlin. O'Loughlin had sued the town and two former Select Board members after his contract as Milford police chief was not renewed in a 2-1 vote by the Select Board in 2018. A trial was scheduled to begin on May 10.
"This payment reflects the fact that Chief O’Loughlin has been completely vindicated from the smears that the then-Select Board put out against him," said Lenny Kesten, O'Loughlin's lawyer, during a phone interview Monday.
Earlier: Several Milford officials expected to testify in O'Loughlin defamation case
The case was reported to the court as settled on April 29. It was subsequently dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case is permanently settled.
The lawsuit was filed against former Select Board members William Kingkade Jr. and William Buckley. Current board member Michael Walsh was the one who voted in favor of renewing O'Loughlin's contract, and was thus not included in the lawsuit.
When reached by the Daily News, O'Loughlin referred comment to his lawyers — Ernest Horn, O'Loughlin's partner at their Mendon-based practice, and Kesten.
Defamation claim centered on letter designed to 'tarnish' O'Loughlin
Adam Simms, an attorney with Boston-based Pierce, Davis & Perritano, LLP, represented Buckley and said "the town and the individual defendant are all glad the case is over and everyone can get on civilly."
O'Loughlin's defamation claim centered around a March 2018 letter alleging O'Loughlin was consuming alcohol with subordinates during the workday. The letter was released to news outlets, including the Daily News, in October 2018.
According to court documents, O'Loughlin and his counsel expected evidence to show that Buckley participated in the March 2018 letter with the intent that it be made public so it would "tarnish" O'Loughlin's reputation.
In June 2022, the Worcester County Superior Court granted a summary judgment to Kingkade on the sole count of defamation against him, and he was removed as a defendant.
Much of the suit was dismissed in 2019 and all that remained was a single defamation count against Buckley. Details of the settlement are not known at this time, and legal counsel representing the parties did not respond to requests for comment.
Neither Buckley nor Kingkade ran for re-election when their Select Board terms were up in 2020 and 2021, respectively. But O'Loughlin won a seat on the Select Board in 2020, when Buckley's term ended.
This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Former Milford police chief settles lawsuit against town for $75K
