A Middlesex Superior Court judge was expected to rule by Aug. 17 whether to make public further e-mails in a lawsuit brought by the lawyer for the Ottoson principal and a former teacher. On Aug. 13 Judge Bruce R. Henry heard arguments from an attorney for the Arlington School Committee and Frank Mondano, representing Principal Stavroula Bouris and Chuck Coughlin, Alan S. Miller said Aug. 14. The lawsuit filed by Mondano seeks an injunction to prohibit the release of further e-mails. 

E-mails involved in the investigation of the principal and former teacher have been sought under requests citing the state's Open Records Act by YourArlington.com, The Boston Globe, The Arlington Advocate, Channel 4 and Fox News (Channel 25).

Miller said the schools do not want to release e-mails beyond those already public, but that, in the light of state law, he said a judge could rule to do so. The judge could also cite privacy provisions of the Open Records Act and block further publication.

YourArlington filed a public-records request July 16, seeking all e-mails involved in the probe. Under state law, a public body has 10 days to produce the records sought or explain in writing why it cannot. On July 31, Miller said the request was put off until Aug. 13 out of respect for the privacy of those involved.

Last week Coughlin lost his job at Ottoson and a system technician for the schools was cleared over the issue, originally reported on this site July 15.