Lawrence County CYS director alleges defamation over domestic violence fundraiser

The director of Lawrence County Children & Youth Services filed a defamation lawsuit Monday over a GoFundMe page that accuses him of abusing his family.

John Bout, who was named director of the agency in 2019, filed the complaint in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against Jennifer Lybarger, an adjunct teacher at Pittsburgh’s Creative and Performing Arts magnet school, and her husband, Roger Lybarger.

It accuses the couple of making false accusations against him and then sending them to his bosses — the Lawrence County commissioners — in an attempt to get him fired.

Messages left with commissioners and Jennifer Lybarger on Tuesday afternoon were not immediately returned.

According to the lawsuit, she created the GoFundMe page under the title “domestic violence assistance,” on Dec. 7, 2020.

The page on Tuesday said it was no longer accepting donations, and the description had been removed.

In the description of the fundraiser, which was attached to the lawsuit as an exhibit, Lybarger wrote that she had reconnected with an old family friend and became aware “of the most horrifying case of domestic violence we’ve ever seen.

“Over a decade and a half of physical and psychological abuse, including the systematic use of authority and influence to manipulate the very system intended to protect the people being abused.”

The description went on to say that it had always been the mother who had been the target of violence, but that the couple’s oldest daughter was being targeted, as well.

The GoFundMe page did not name Bout or his wife. However, it did include details of the ages of the couple’s children, the lawsuit said.

The fundraiser sought $25,000, and had raised $6,370 when it was taken down.

Bout alleges in the lawsuit that Lybarger mailed a copy of the GoFundMe page to the Lawrence County commissioners and Bout’s staff at Children & Youth Services. It was received there on Feb. 25.

“Ms. Lybarger is aggressively requesting that Mr. Bout be fired from his employment solely based upon defamatory statements, lies and misrepresentations,” the lawsuit said.

In an exhibit, Bout attached the letter sent to the county. It read: “Read the GoFundMe page. This is about John Bout and how abusive he has been towards his family. He left his family with nothing. Is this someone you want to support? He should be fired! Do the right thing and share this with the other employees.”

The lawsuit includes claims for defamation and slander.

The complaint said Bout learned about the GoFundMe page on Jan. 6 from his sister and aunt.

The lawsuit alleges that the Lybargers have never witnessed Bout interact with his estranged wife or their children.

It said there was “zero merit” to the abuse claims, and that the only time he ever met the couple was at a custody exchange.

“The letter drafted by defendants contained several statements regarding alleged illegal misconduct and wrongdoing of plaintiff, John Bout, which plaintiff flatly and summarily denies as malicious lies hurled only to injure plaintiff’s character and standing in the community, in a bold attempt to raise legal defense funds in an unrelated legal matter between Mr. Bout and his estranged wife,” the lawsuit said.

Bout said the accusations made in the GoFundMe description harmed his reputation and made him fear possible termination.

“The very fact that these allegations are being made, falsely and recklessly, casts very negative light on Mr. Bout,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleges that the statements made by the Lybargers could have been seen by hundreds or thousands of people, including Bout’s family, friends, employers and co-workers.

“Plaintiff is an upstanding, good citizen, and great father, with a great reputation for character in his local community and work community,” the lawsuit said.