Referee Campbell refiles lawsuit in state superior court

SALEM – Basketball referee Paul Campbell has refiled in the state superior court a lawsuit that was thrown out of federal court last year, challenging his suspension over a disciplinary issue, and alleging the North Shore board of high school basketball referees allows a registered sex offender to officiate.Among those named in the suit are Paul Halloran and Michael Muchmore, former presidents of Massachusetts District Board 130 of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials; the Massachusetts State Basketball Officials Association; and the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, as well as Dick Baker, commissioner of the Northeastern Conference; and Raymond Gauthier, Phillip Paul, Raymond Gauthier, Cos Partaledis, Patrick Veilleux, Nate Bryant and Leslie Boucher.Campbell alleges that the board ignored his admonitions about the referee in question, violated election procedure to keep him from becoming president of the association, and unfairly blamed him for emailing an anonymous letter complaining about the board to a local athletic director, and subsequently suspended him.Halloran, speaking for the board, said that the IAABO found irrefutable proof that Campbell wrote the letter.Halloran also said that the board’s only function is to make sure its referees are qualified, and that it’s up to various leagues to assign them to games.