NEW GLOUCESTER – Frank Staton, the New Gloucester man who was placed under a restraining order after allegedly threatening town officials, has sued Selectman Steve Libby for slander, libel, defamation and malice.

In a May 22 written statement regarding Staton’s “threatening harassment of municipal officials,” Town Manager Paul First requested a protection order from the court, citing a variety of alleged incidents from February through May when Staton had threatened town officials. On June 30, a Portland District Court judge issued an order prohibiting Staton, 41, from “harassing, threatening, assaulting, molesting, attacking or otherwise abusing” 46 individuals associated with the New Gloucester municipal government.

“I am concerned for the safety of my employees, elected officials, and myself,” First wrote. “I understand that Mr. Staton carries a concealed weapon. He becomes easily agitated and ‘unhinged.’ Incidents have occurred without provocation. Recently his harassment has increased due to the passage of a citizen’s recall initiative. Mr. Staton has anti-government sentiments. I understand that he is a self-professed ‘sovereign citizen.’ I suspect Mr. Staton of recent vandalism activity.”

On July 11, Staton’s attorney, David J. Van Dyke of the Lewiston firm Hornblower, Lynch, Rabasco & Van Dyke, filed a complaint at Portland Superior Court against Libby.

The complaint focuses on Libby’s statements at a May 19 Board of Selectmen meeting and to a Lewiston newspaper that Staton had criminally threatened the lives of town officials. Van Dyke seeks damages and restitution for Libby’s comments.

“The within statements were false and defamatory statements harmful to Plaintiff Staton’s reputation, social standing, business and profession and, otherwise, actionable irrespective of special harm, insofar as same reply that Plaintiff Staton had engaged in serious criminal conduct when in fact, all that he had done was lawfully seek redress from his town government for perceived corrupt practices and inappropriate actions taken by town officials against him, in a manner which was not criminal.”

Staton and Libby could not be reached for commentfor this story. According to the complaint, Staton erected signage on his property advocating Libby’s recall.

“That signage was mysterious(ly) destroyed in connection with associated vandalism of Plaintiff Staton’s property,” Van Dyke wrote.

In the request for a protection order, the town included a May 12 profane email from Staton to Libby, with a subject heading that read, “Re: RESIGN NOW.”

“Hey, Steve send someone else to my property,” it read, in all caps. “Bring it on Big Boy, I am informing you as a town official that no one from this town is allowed on my property at 1187 Lewiston Road, anyone caught on my property will be taking there life in there own hands, and will pay the price, so tell everyone that has a town title to stay off my property, and by the way my taxes are paid.”

In a May 6 email, Staton called on Libby to resign immediately.

“Dear Steve Libby,” it read, also in all caps, “if you haven’t noticed you are not very well liked in this town anymore, and I think a town official should gain the respect of the voters. I don’t ever see that happening, so I again am asking for your immediate resignation, get your stuff and get out of our town government, you are not respected here in New Gloucester and we all want you out, so make it easy on yourself and get out now, investigators are looking into your practices as an elected town official, and it does not shine a good light on a town I used to love and care about.”