A complaint has been filed in Rockingham County Superior Court by the Londonderry Fish and Game Club (LFGC) against Kevin and Janine Anctil of 43 Tanager Way in Litchfield. They are each accused of two counts of defamation.
A few points from the filing.
- Beginning no later than September 21, 2021, Defendants Kevin and Janine Anctil initiated a full-fledged media campaign falsely blaming LFGC for the bullet strikes in the Tanager Way area.
- More specifically, without any supporting evidence, the Anctils claimed that the bullet strikes originated at the 200 and/or 400-yard ranges at LFGC.
- The Anctils made contact with several news outlets to defame the Club including, but not limited to, the New Hampshire Union Leader, WMUR, WHBH- Boston, Boston 25 News and NBC Boston.
- Janine Anctil made multiple statements to the media falsely blaming LFGC, either explicitly or implicitly, for bullet strikes in her neighborhood.
- Kevin Anctil also made multiple statements to the media either expressly or implicitly blaming LFGC for the bullet strikes, falsely casting LFGC in a negative light.
- Defendants Kevin and Janine Anctil took to social media to promote their news appearances while making further defamatory claims about the club. Mr. Anctil even developed an associated hashtag, “#BulletGate,” to link his various posts together.
- Apart from engaging in defamation on their individual Facebook pages, the Anctils defamed the Club on Litchfield community pages as well, stopping at nothing to damage the reputation of LFGC and cast the club in a negative light.
Those are just a few, in no particular order, and without further details. Read the complaint. The evidence that LFGC could not be responsible is very complete, as is the effort by the Anctils to defame the LFGC.
It’s a fascinating little journey, and I think you will agree, as I do, that the LFGC has some likelihood of success.
I asked LGFC Club President Rick Olson (a friend and a fellow Grokster) for a comment.
“It is unfortunate that LFGC had to file this legal action. In the Club’s 70-year history, this is only the second time the need for litigation has been thrust upon us. The Anctils left us no choice. I am unable to comment beyond that per the instructions of our attorney, Sean List. Questions may be directed to him.”
Dealing with disgruntled neighbors who choose to buy property near a long-established Fish and Game club will always result in some conflicts. Not everyone will realize that you might have to listen to gunfire from sun up to sundown. They may also be unwilling to believe that the source of their ills came from someplace or someone else.
A projectile struck the Anctil’s house, but they could not give up on the idea that it could not have come from LFGC.
LGFC finally said enough.
Due to the Defendants’ persistent defamation of the Plaintiff, the Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer significant damages within the jurisdictional limits of the Court including, but not limited to, reputational harm, humiliation, attorney’s fees, and legal costs. The Plaintiff seeks all damages to which it is entitled, including any equitable relief the Court may provide to halt the ongoing tortious conduct of the Defendants. The Plaintiff also seeks enhanced compensatory damages for the wanton, willful, and malicious nature of the Defendants’ conduct.
We’ll let you know how things turn out.
Update: A few minor edits to correct some poorly worded details.
