STANTON : Mayor Sues Rival, Alleging Defamation

Mayor Sal Sapien, facing a recall attempt by political opponents, filed a defamation of character lawsuit Tuesday against former Mayor Edward L. Allen, alleging that Allen falsely accused Sapien in a letter sent to the mayor’s employer.

Sapien alleges that Allen, who supports the recall effort, wrote a letter to the superintendent of the El Monte Elementary School District, where Sapien works as a truant officer, accusing the mayor of using school time for political functions.

Allen ran for reelection in November and was defeated. Sapien was subsequently named mayor, and has been feuding since with two close Allen allies on the City Council, David John Sawver and Harry Dotson.

Allen “continues to oppose me and has attempted to remove me from public office by whatever means possible,” Sapien states in his lawsuit.

“Sending a letter to my employer, outside the city limits of Stanton, and in another county, served no practical political purpose (except to) take revenge for Allen’s 1990 defeat . . . and force me to withdraw from politics, regardless of the wishes or desires of the voting public in Stanton,” he says in the suit.

Sapien alleges that on March 15, 1991, Allen wrote to Jeff Seymour, superintendent of the El Monte Elementary School District, to accuse Sapien of appearing at several functions during school hours.

The letter also accused Sapien of spending up to 15% of his working time at these functions and asked the district to investigate the allegations, according to the lawsuit.

Sapien counters that any time he attended a political function, he either arranged his schedule so that he did not miss school time, attended during non-school hours or took vacation time from school.

Allen and Sapien were both unavailable Tuesday night for comment about the lawsuit.

Sapien alleges that Allen’s letter exposed him to “emotional distress, shock, humiliation, shame, mortification and hurt feelings.”