Case Title: Palmer v. Bennington School District

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 1992-04-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to motions for reargument under V.R.A.P.
 40 as well as formal revision before publication in the Vermont Reports.
 Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of Decisions, Vermont Supreme
 Court, 109 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0801 of any errors in
 order that corrections may be made before this opinion goes to press.


                                 No. 91-377


 David Palmer                                 Supreme Court

                                              On Appeal from
      v.                                      Bennington Superior Court

 Bennington School District, Inc.             April Term, 1992



 Arthur J. O'Dea, J.

 Robert E. Cummings and Gordon P. Black of Cummings & Dailey, Bennington, and
   George F. Carpinello of Duker & Barrett, Albany, New York, for plaintiff-
   appellant

 Donald W. Goodrich and William W. Adams of Donovan & O'Connor, Adams,
   Massachusetts, for defendant-appellee


 PRESENT:  Allen, C.J., Gibson, Dooley, Morse and Johnson, JJ.



      JOHNSON, J.   Plaintiff's appeal from a grant of summary judgment in a
 defamation counterclaim presents two issues.  The first is whether a public
 elementary school principal is a public official within the meaning of New
 York Times Co. v. Sullivan,