FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — A woman who accused the former Fayetteville School District superintendent of sexual harassment is seeking to dismiss his lawsuit against her, saying his claims that she caused his firing are baseless.
On Friday (Sept. 7), Suzanne Clark filed a motion in Washington County Circuit Court to dismiss Dr. Matthew Wendt’s lawsuit against her client, Shae Lynn Newman.
Wendt sued Newman last month for allegedly making false claims about their relationship, which he said damaged his career.
Wendt argued that Newman and Clark created an untrue story about his relationship with Newman. He’s seeking $850,000 in damages.
“Wendt’s intention in filing his complaint was to disclose (Newman’s) identity and make public assertions he apparently believes exonerate his repugnant and abusive conduct toward Ms. Newman,” Clark argued in her motion.
“Wendt laments his lack of employment and faults (Newman) for that status. If Wendt wants someone to blame for being out of a job and ‘damaged in the marketplace,’ he should look in the mirror.”
Newman, a former school district employee, accused Wendt in March of sexual harassment.
Wendt was fired on June 18 for breach of contract for derogatory comments against a fellow employee violating district policy, according to Susan Kendall, attorney for the School Board.
Newman later sued to keep private records related to the district’s investigation of Wendt.
Those documents, obtained through the state Freedom of Information Act, show Wendt allegedly sent Newman several sexually explicit messages after the two had an affair.
