While some concerned citizens are actively campaigning for Level 3 sex offender Michael Innello to be removed from town employment, the maintenance worker’s attorney has issued a cease-and-desist letter to town board candidate Laurie Osmond to stop her social media posts.
The Aug. 22 letter from attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal demands Osmond cease and desist from making false statements about alleged parole violations, remove and retract all defamatory content from social media platforms, and cease communications to town board members, law enforcement agencies, government officials, media outlets and social media platforms containing false allegations about Innello.
It also demands she refrain from organizing, participating in or encouraging any campaigns, petitions, protests or other coordinated efforts aimed at harming his reputation or interfering with his employment opportunities.
“Misrepresenting Mr. Innello’s criminal history and parole terms in public communications effectively punishes him for the mere act of existing as a formerly incarcerated person seeking to rebuild his life,” Sabharwal wrote.
“Your conduct constitutes defamation per se, harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, tortious interference with employment, and invasion of privacy.”
Sabharwal accused Osmond of making false parole violation claims and posting that Mr. Innello was “proven to be on the camp grounds among children” when official correspondence shows he was performing legitimate work duties with supervision.
It further accuses Osmond of inflammatory criminal history misrepresentations designed to maximize public outrage.
Sabharwal said Osmond’s posts falsely claimed “no contact with minors” violations when official documentation shows parole conditions specifically prohibit loitering around children.
“We respectfully request that you channel your civic energy in ways that do not harm an individual who is working to rebuild his life,” Sabharwal wrote.
Innello was in fact on the grounds of the town recreation area, where he was preparing the pool for the summer camp opening. Police Chief Clayton Keefe documented this in a report to the Town Board and, based on interviews with witnesses, documented concern from camp staff.
“No contact with minors” is listed as a special condition of supervision on Innello’s profile on the state sex offender registry.
Osmond said she doesn’t recall claiming Innello violated parole, but merely stated he was near children. She believes she was targeted because she is a presumptive town board member-elect and has been outspoken about Innello’s employment. Osmond said she has no plans to take down any posts.
Town board battle still possible
Council member Bennet Ratcliff said Supervisor Bill McKenna filing paperwork to get Innello back on the town roster doesn’t mean he can be on the payroll.
“I understand from our bookkeeper that the supervisor has him on the payroll, but the town is not authorized to pay for an individual who has been terminated,” Ratcliff said.
“So the next payroll will be a very important point to see what the supervisor chooses to do,” Ratcliff said.
“If the town is not authorizing payment for him, then it is a person who is not employed. It is a person who county civil service has placed on the Woodstock roster and has accepted the personnel change form. It’s up to the town to pay that person if they want to hire him,” he said.
“I was dismayed to find out that that supervisor has him scheduled to be paid in this upcoming payroll run.”
At a chaotic July 22 Town Board meeting, the board voted 3-0 to terminate Innello. McKenna called the move illegal and refused to sign county paperwork to remove him from the roster. On Aug. 4, Ratcliff and Council Member Anula Courtis signed and hand-delivered the paperwork to the county Personnel Department.
On Aug. 8, McKenna, citing a four-sentence email from the union business agency, filed the same paperwork to get Innello back on the roster. By Aug. 13, he was back on the job.
The Personnel Department merely files civil service paperwork and does not get involved in hiring and firing decisions.
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