Apr 17, 2002 By Steve Ostrosky 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – A Center Township man has filed a lawsuit against Jefferson-Morgan School District Superintendent Charles Rembold for allegedly defaming him in a memo he drafted after he had left the top administrator’s position at West Greene School District. Adolph Deynzer accused Rembold in the suit of sending a slanderous letter of inquiry about Deynzer’s actions on Sept. 20, 2001. The suit said Rembold openly stated in public he was going to send the letter and did so maliciously with the intent to deprive Deynzer of his good name.

According to the Oct. 25 memo, Rembold wrote Debbie Crouse, then West Greene School Board president, that board members Dan Smith and Anita Ross along with Deynzer came to the district’s central administration office to review Rembold’s mileage and phone records.

As the three were entering the building, the memo states administrator Frank Blout observed board member Dan Smith carrying a tape recorder and then turned it on before he entered the building. Rembold wrote that none of the three ever revealed to the district employees that they were in possession of a tape recorder when they visited that day.

Rembold requested an internal investigation of the incident and full disclosure at the West Greene’s November board meeting.

“If the events occurred as described, then Dan Smith violated the law and lied to the West Greene Community. Al Deynzer and Anita Ross are knowledgeable and complicated in this conspiracy,” he wrote.

“If these events do prove accurate, then I am calling for their (Smith and Ross) resignations from the West Greene School Board. It appears these elected officials have broken the trust placed in them by the citizens of West Greene.”

In the suit, Deynzer said he has never been found guilty of any crime or illegal conduct alleged by Rembold and that he never lied about the events of Sept. 20 or conspired with others to illegally audiotape their visit to the administration office. The suit states Rembold knew his words “were and are untrue” when he said and wrote them.

Deynzer demands judgment against Rembold in excess of $25,000 along with punitive damages and attorneys’ fees.

Rembold left West Greene last summer to take the superintendent position at Jefferson-Morgan School District. He also serves as president of the Greene County Industrial Development Authority Board.

Rembold is out of town until Thursday and could not be reached for comment.