On January 7, 2015

Rutland County parent awarded $147,500 to settle free speech case

By VTDigger staff

A Rutland County parent who was barred from attending school board meetings has received a $147,500 settlement from the Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union.

Marcel Cyr, who with his wife, Valerie Cyr, had been critical of the quality of the education their child received at Benson Village School, was issued a no-trespass order and told that he could be arrested if he came onto district property.

A federal court in September ruled that the district violated Cyr’s rights by barring his participation in board meetings without explanation and without recourse.

The settlement was reached through mediation, according to a news release from the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped to represent Cyr in the case. The Vermont ACLU contended that the board’s ban infringed upon Cyr’s due process and free speech rights.

“The message to government agencies is simple: you can’t treat the interested public like trespassers,” ACLU of Vermont executive director Allen Gilbert said in a news release Monday, Jan. 5. “The federal court has ruled that doing so violates the constitution, and now, the supervisory union has paid for infringing on a concerned parent’s rights.”

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Pride in Rutland: Flags, resistance, and showing up

June 25, 2025
By Emily Pratt Slatin Pride returned to downtown Rutland this June with more color, noise, and purpose than ever before. What began as a joyful celebration quickly became something deeper—something that felt like resistance. And belonging. And a promise that no one in this community has to stand alone. The day kicked off with the…

Plan to manage 72,000 acres of the Telephone Gap project is finalized

June 25, 2025
Staff report The U.S. Forest Service issued its final plan for managing 72,000 acres of public and private land on June 16. The proposed Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project area is located on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) within the towns of Brandon, Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield, Pittsford, and Stockbridge. “The Telephone Gap project is…

Hot air balloons took flight over Quechee

June 25, 2025
By James Kent This past weekend, June 21-22, people came from all over New England to participate in the 45th annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Music, food, games, and fun were available for all ages throughout the weekend, but the main attraction was the hot air balloons. And for those looking to see these gigantic,…

Killington residents push for skate park as town reimagines recreation future 

June 25, 2025
By Greta Solsaa/VTDigger As Killington celebrates the 50th anniversary of its recreation center, some residents are pushing to make a skate park a new permanent fixture of the town’s summer offerings.  The town crafted its recreation master plan to holistically determine how to best use its resources to serve residents in the future, Recreation Department Director Emily Hudson…