Judge dismisses ex-Norwin director's lawsuit

A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit from a former Norwin school director and his wife, who claimed they were victims in a political dispute with another ex-school board member in 2020 and 2021.

Brian and Margaret Carlton of North Huntingdon failed to state a claim against Norwin, the Westmoreland County Republican Committee or former director Robert Wayman of Irwin, for which the court could grant them some type of relief, U.S. District Judge Scott Hardy in Pittsburgh ruled last month.

While the Carltons can’t refile the seven-count federal lawsuit on the same issues they raised in their March 2022 lawsuit, the judge said Brian Carlton had the right to pursue his claim in a Pennsylvania court. The Carltons contend Wayman sent a letter containing false statements to Penn-Trafford School District, intent on damaging Carlton’s reputation. Carlton is a teacher in the Penn-Trafford School District.

The Carltons in February 2023 withdrew all their claims against Norwin, where Margaret is a teacher. They had alleged Norwin had violated their First Amendment rights.

Brian Carlton, who lost his bid for reelection in November 2021, could not be reached for comment.

Wayman, who lost his bid for reelection in November 2023, said he and his family are delighted with these decisions.

“It has been a difficult three years, and we are looking forward to the future,” Wayman said.

Wayman was treasurer of the Republican committee representing North Huntingdon, Irwin and North Irwin. Carlton claims Wayman initiated a letter from the county GOP committee in April 2021 that forbade Carlton from attending GOP committee meetings over allegations of bad behavior at previous sessions.

At the time, Carlton sought the Republican endorsement as a candidate for nomination on the GOP ticket. Carlton won a spot on the Democratic ticket in the primary but lost in November.

Hardy offered the same reasoning he used last week in dismissing Norwin board member Alex Detschelt’s lawsuit against former superintendent Jeffrey Taylor. Detschelt claimed Taylor retaliated against him with a statement to the school district criticizing Detschelt’s social media post that used a sexually explicit word and a derisive word for a person with mental illness.