Court restores defamation suit against hospital

BRATTLEBORO — The Vermont Supreme Court has ordered a judge to take another a look at a defamation lawsuit filed by a former Brattleboro Retreat employee against the psychiatric hospital.
The lawsuit filed by David Shaddy followed the Retreat’s allegation that he unlawfully diverted regulated drugs from the medication room.
A judge dismissed the complaint on the grounds that it had been resolved before the Vermont Department of Labor and in a criminal case; he pleaded no contest to possession of a stimulant.
The Brattleboro Reformer reports the court ruled Friday that while the judge was correct to dismiss other parts of the suit, the defamation claim should be reconsidered.
Shaddy, who worked at the Retreat as a nurse, filed his suit in January 2011.