Firefighter and ACLU Sue Town for Privacy Violation
On December 4, 2009, the RI affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Johnston firefighter against the town and its police chief, alleging that the release of the firefighter's driver's license information to a town councilman, and its subsequent release to the public, violated the Federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act.
The suit names the town and Police Chief Richard Tamburini as defendants. The Drivers Privacy Protection Act prohibits the disclosure of motor vehicle record information by police and others for unauthorized purposes. The councilman, Ernest Pitochelli, released a letter into a local newspaper that was critical of the Johnston Fire Department, cited the firefighter’s vehicle as having an offensive bumper sticker, identified the firefighter by name, and stated he was on work-related disability. The day after the letter was published, the windshield of the firefighter’s car was smashed.
