This morning, City Paper broke the news that that Charleston Wine + Food had announced a “Public Board Meeting” set for tomorrow, Thurs. Feb. 22, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. to address “a personnel matter.”
Not three hours later, the Post & Courier reported that Randall Goldman, the CEO of Patrick Properties Hospitality Group and festival board member, filed an injunction request on Tuesday to stop the group from meeting, alleging that as a public body that receives government funding, the W+F board is in violation of the state Freedom of Information Act.
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According to state law, “public bodies” must provide notice and an agenda of any meeting “as early as is practicable but not later than twenty-four hours before the meeting.”
The same day, Goldman also filed a defamation lawsuit against a party identified only as “John Doe.” The complaint alleges that an unnamed person defamed him by attempting to send “spoof” emails using “a temporary email address and bogus IP address to disguise” their identity to someone at the Charleston Restaurant Association — where Goldman serves as chairman — and a person at the Charleston Area Convention & Visitor Bureau stating that “a news article was soon forthcoming and insinuating that Plaintiff was ‘facing allegations of sexual harassment and creation of a hostile work environment’ from a large number of complainants.”
Goldman’s attorney Alice Paylor did not return a request for comment, nor did Charleston Wine + Food’s attorney Molly Cherry.
The Charleston Wine + Food festival begins Feb. 28 and runs through March 4.
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