Trending
YOUNGSTOWN -- A longtime public servant is seeking damages through a defamation lawsuit, he and his attorney announced Wednesday.
Richard S. Scarsella, chairman of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society, issued a news release through attorney David Engler announcing legal action taken against Mill Creek Metroparks Executive Director Aaron Young.
"The lawsuit seeks to stop Young from using his public position and public funds to bully Richard S. Scarsella and others," Engler wrote.
"Young should have learned long ago that words have consequences. It is outrageous to claim that a private person -- seeking to preserve a national historic site in our community -- is a criminal, or somehow has duped the NAACP into being concerned about the upkeep of the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve."
Scarsella is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, a decree from the court finding the statements to be false and defamatory, and permanent injunctive relief.
In the release, Scarsella accused Young of publicly making defamatory remarks in a Dec. 13 Facebook post authored by the official Mill Creek MetroParks page.
The plaintiff's announcement suggested the defendant, Young, spread "unequivocal allegations" against Scarsella, accusing him of criminal activity. Specifically, the Facebook post mentioned extortion, and that Scarsella "coerced" the "penmanship" of constituents.
The release also explained that the post claimed Scarsella exploited historically disadvantaged members of his community.
The defendant's alleged Facebook post, included in the release, states, "This is yet another deplorable attempt by Richard (S.) Scarsella, president of the Williams Holmes McGuffey Historical Society, to extort the Metroparks through both slander and the despicable exploitation of historically disadvantaged members of the community."
The plaintiff mentioned that the post references an NAACP letter, sent to park commissioners, requesting that "the McGuffey Wildlife Preserve's McGuffey Family Pond and Dock be restored, maintained and preserved."
NAACP Youngstown Mahoning County Branch President James Brown wrote, "Taxpayers from Youngstown's East Side, Coitsville Township and Campbell are being denied a first-class facility."
Brown also suggested in this statement that "the park district either transfer ownership of the preserve to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, as a state nature preserve, or co-manage the preserve with ODNR, as a state nature preserve."
The Facebook post targeting Scarsella continued, "His continued barrage of false claims of various forms of discrimination through the coerced penmanship of some of our local constituents does nothing but negate the simple truth that it has been the MetroParks that has promoted the William Holmes McGuffey name through the dedicated maintenance of this facility for the last 25 years."
It further reads that the MetroParks will not abandon its commitment to maintenance, or ignore the ecological benefits that nature provides in doing so.
The complaint states that Scarsella believes Young made statements "with a reckless disregard as to the truth" with an intent to destroy Scarsella's reputation. It also states that Young knew he was being recorded, broadcast and memorialized in making comments to news stations.
The Mill Creek MetroParks Facebook page has more than 38,000 followers, Scarsella's attorney mentioned.
THE CONFLICT
Scarsella and Young have battled for two years over the McGuffey Family Pond, which sits near the entrance to the 73.6-acre McGuffey Wildlife Preserve. The historical society donated the preserve, along with a $15,000 one-time contribution, to the park district in 1998.
The historical society and the park interpret differently one of 22 provisions in a July 25, 1998, written agreement. It states the $15,000 donation will be made "with the restriction that the funds be used only for improvements or maintenance of the property."
Even though the word "pond" is not in the document, maintaining the parcel also implies taking care of that body of water, which sits just off McGuffey Road, Scarsella argued in 2022.
Young in 2022, however, said money should have been invested specifically in the pond's well-being.
Seven years prior, Young said, "The society gave up the right to solely dictate what happens at that property on the date the agreement was executed."
Scarsella added the pond is now "swampy wetland." In 2022, the park district removed the dock, due to safety concerns. WHMHS claims routine maintenance was not performed on either the pond or the dock.
"The park commissioners have resisted requests to restore either of them, citing no legal requirement to do so, when the property was transferred to them," Scarsella said.