Legal Action Filed Against WPRI Media and Reporters for Defamation, Libel, and Neglect in Reporting Unlawful Arrest Incident
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Warwick Rhode Island– October 11, 2024– A lawsuit has been filed against WPRI Media, Inc., along with its reporters Sarah Doiron, Mike Montecalvo, and Shannon Hegy, for defamation, libel, and neglect in reporting false, misleading, and harmful statements about a Rhode Island resident, Joshua Mello. The claims stem from an article and news broadcast that falsely portrayed Mr. Mello as guilty of criminal conduct without appropriate context or qualifiers such as “alleged” or “allegedly.”
Background of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed following an incident on October 21, 2021, when Mr. Mello was involved in an altercation at Western Hills Middle School in Cranston, Rhode Island. Mr. Mello, who was attempting to assist his child in an emergency situation, was met with excessive force by police officers at the school. A series of events led to Mr. Mello’s arrest, during which the school administration and school resource officers overstepped their boundaries, using excessive force, including assaulting Mr. Mello while he was handcuffed. Video evidence captured these actions, disputing the portrayal of events by WPRI Media.
The subsequent reporting by WPRI, authored by Sarah Doiron and aired by Mike Montecalvo and Shannon Hegy, misrepresented the facts of the arrest. The broadcast and article falsely claimed that Mr. Mello was “unruly and belligerent” and involved in a “child custody issue.” The reports further misrepresented the existence of no-trespassing orders against Mr. Mello and exaggerated the nature of a Gerber knife he was carrying, inaccurately labeling it illegal.
Despite the presence of video evidence and verifiable details, WPRI Media published and broadcasted these misleading statements without properly investigating the facts. The failure to use the terms “alleged” or “allegedly” further compounded the harm, as the broadcast presented Mr. Mello as guilty without considering his legal right to due process.
Impact of the Defamation
As a result of WPRI Media’s inaccurate reporting, Mr. Mello, his wife Rachel Ware, and their daughter have endured significant personal and professional harm. Their small family business, which was indirectly associated with the defamatory coverage, has suffered reputational damage. The family also faced harassment and stalking by individuals who relied on the false information to further attack Mr. Mello’s character. Mr. Mello was ultimately granted a indefinite restraining order against one individual, Brandon Hong, who obsessively stalked and harassed his family using the defamatory reports during his routine attacks.
The false and defamatory articles remains publicly accessible on WPRI’s website and YouTube channel, continuing to harm Mr. Mello and his family. Numerous other media outlets also cited WPRI’s article, perpetuating the inaccuracies and compounding the damage to Mr. Mello’s reputation.
Legal Claims
Mr. Mello has brought forth claims of defamation under Rhode Island law (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-28.1), which protects individuals from false and defamatory statements. The suit also cites defamation per se, where the statements published by WPRI caused severe harm to Mr. Mello’s reputation without need for further proof of damage due to their inherently damaging nature.
The legal complaint alleges that WPRI acted with negligence and malice, failing to verify critical facts before publication and omitting qualifiers such as “allegedly.” In Rhode Island Supreme Court cases such as Marcil v. Kells (170 A.2d 895) and Healey v. New England Newspapers (555 A.2d 321), it has been established that defamation arises when a party’s reputation is unjustly damaged by false statements, and WPRI’s reporting clearly meets this threshold.
Plaintiff’s Statement
“My family and I have suffered tremendously because of WPRI’s reckless reporting,” said Mr. Mello. “The misleading nature of their coverage has caused us emotional and financial harm. Reporting that neglects facts and presents information without considering the real truth is not journalism—it’s defamation. I am fighting to hold them accountable for the damage they’ve caused, not just to clear my name, but to ensure that news organizations act responsibly.”
Next Steps
The lawsuit is being pursued in Rhode Island Superior Court and seeks compensatory and punitive damages totaling $1 million, as well as a public retraction and apology from WPRI Media and its reporters. Mr. Mello’s lawsuit also highlights the need for accountability in the media to prevent similar harm to others in the future.
Contact Information
For more information or press inquiries, please contact:
Joshua Mello
401-426-0778