Defamation lawsuit against Sioux City Community School District continues

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — After accusing the Sioux City Community School District of defamation in 2023 , there’s an update on the lawsuit filed by a former Iowa State Senator against the school district.

The lawsuit was brought forth by Richard Bertrand in January 2023, claiming that then School Board President Dan Greenwell and the district’s then Director of Operations Brian Fahrendholz had defamed him by accusing him of stealing dirt from the school district and that those accusations contributed to him being unable to purchase five acres of land owned by the district.

A Woodbury County Court ruled on Wednesday that a request for summary judgment would be granted to Greenwell.

“I am very pleased the court dismissed this silly, frivolous lawsuit against me.

I refused to participate in negotiations or authorize a sale process of public property to Mr. Bertrand without the required public notices, listings and disclosures. Mr. Bertrand was unable to get his way so he filed suit.

Protection of Sioux City taxpayers and school district property was vital in my decision making. Doing the right thing usually works in most cases.”

Statement from Dan Greenwell

Summary judgment was denied for Fahrendholz and the school district. A summary judgment is a ruling without a full trial.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for May 31.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.