NWACC administrator sues over statements on website

An administrator at NorthWest Arkansas Community College is suing a woman over statements made about him on the Internet.

Houston attorney Paul Kerlin filed the suit Monday in Benton County Circuit Court on behalf of Steven Gates against Francesca M. Cataldo.

Cataldo could not be reached for comment. There were no responses Tuesday to emails sent to her.

Gates, senior vice president for learning and provost, says in the lawsuit that Cataldo began posting about the college on a blog. The lawsuit states Cataldo made false and defamatory statements regarding Gates and his position with the college.

The community college is not a named party in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that on May 26, 2012, Cataldo posted Gates was “a bully” and had been fired from Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. for sexual harassment. The posting also stated Gates had been unemployed for several years and questioned why someone with “his tainted history” was hired at the college, according to court documents.

According to the complaint, Gates says Cataldo’s statements about him are false.

An Aug. 7, 2012 posting stated Gates destroys people’s lives and careers, according to the lawsuit.

Cataldo accused Gates of cyberstalking her in an Aug. 13, 2012 posting, according to court documents.

The lawsuit states Cataldo posted a web link urging readers to contact the college’s Board of Trustees to inform them of how poorly Gates and other administrators ran the university.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to remove all the statements about Gates from the blog.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The case is assigned to Circuit Judge John Scott.

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