Josh Duggar is resuming his legal action against city and county officials he believes wronged him by releasing police reports in 2015.
The disgraced reality star filed suit against Springdale city officials over the release of information related to allegations of sexual abuse.
Four of Josh Duggar’s sisters filed a separate lawsuit against the city officials, Washington County officials and In Touch Weekly magazine.
Josh’s attorneys filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming Duggar’s right to due process was violated and his privacy was invaded.
He seeks $ 75,000 in damages, legal fees and a jury trial.
A spokeswoman for Springdale, Ark., responded through counsel that this is a “misguided lawsuit against dedicated public servants.”
The city criticized Josh for “seeking damages from public tax dollars,” a similar response to their response to the Duggar sisters’ lawsuit.
Josh’s four sisters sued Northwest Arkansas officials in May, claiming police documents were improperly released to a celebrity tabloid.
The sisters filing the lawsuit are Jill Duggar (Dillard), Jessa Duggar (Seewald), Jinger Duggar (Vuolo) and Joy-Anna Duggar (Forsyth).
Federal claims include invasion of privacy, outrage and violation of the right to due process; Josh Duggar’s lawsuit comes on its heels.
Josh initially filed a motion to join, then pulled out of that suit, without explanation, in June, only to file his own suit against the defendants.
Police investigated allegations of sexual abuse against Josh Duggar in 2006, related to incidents in 2002-03, but did not file charges.
His four sisters were obviously minors at the time.
The lawsuits contend police that the case details would only be available to law enforcement, juvenile court and child services personnel.
In both lawsuits, the Duggars claim officials released documents to In Touch after it filed a state Freedom of Information Act request.
The suits say officials supervised the Police Department’s redaction and release of a report in violation of the Arkansas juvenile code.
According to the famous plantiffs, this conduct was also in violation of the Arkansas Code, plus both the Arkansas and U.S. constitutions.
Josh, then 14, revealed to his parents in March 2002, July 2002 and March 2003 that he had inappropriately touched the girls at home.
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar admitted this June 3, 2015, in an interview with Fox News after the scandalous In Touch story broke.
They took the teenager to report what he had done to an Arkansas State Police employee, according to the Springdale Police report.
However, this is where it gets complicated, as the police didn’t report the matter to the state’s child abuse hotline as required by law.
Moreover, Springdale police said they didn’t learn about the accusations until someone anonymously called the abuse hotline in 2006.
By then, the criminal statute of limitations had lapsed.
Springdale police said that when they got the freedom of information request, the protections afforded to youth offenders no longer applied.
Josh resigned as a lobbyist for a group run by the conservative Family Research Council, admitted wrongdoing and went to sex rehab.
After also admitting infidelity and porn addiction, he returned to Arkansas but has been laying very, very low for the past year and a half.
He wife Anna Duggar are expecting their fifth child.
