CANTON — The head men’s soccer coach at Clarkson University has filed a lawsuit against the village of Potsdam and four members of its police department, alleging he has suffered “physical and psychological trauma” after being named a suspect in last year’s slaying of 12-year-old Garrett J. Phillips.

In legal papers filed in state Supreme Court, Oral “Nick” Hillary alleges that the police slandered him, damaged his reputation and caused him mental humiliation.

According to the suit, Mr. Hillary was held “against his will” by police on Oct. 26 in a holding room at the Potsdam Police Department and his cellphone was seized illegally and never returned. The police that day also prevented him from getting the keys to his home, the suit alleges.

The action also says the department issued slanderous statements that implicated him in the Oct. 24 death of the boy at North Country Manor Apartments, 100 Market St., where Garrett lived with his mother in an upstairs apartment. The boy was found unconscious and unresponsive and the death was ruled a strangulation.

Mr. Hillary was detained and questioned two days later, but was not charged.

As a result of being falsely accused, the lawsuit claims, Mr. Hillary has suffered anxiety, anger and loss of sleep, causing him to seek counseling from medical professionals, clergy, family and friends.

The lawsuit follows the notice of claim that Mr. Hillary filed in April. It seeks unspecified damages. Besides the village, defendants are former village Police Chief Edward F. Tischler, Lt. Mark R. Murray, Sgt. Michael Ames and Sgt. Charles M. Daniels, who was a patrolman at the time of the killing.

Potsdam Mayor Steven W. Yurgartis said Wednesday he does not believe the case has merit.

“To the best of my knowledge there is no basis to those claims,” he said. “Certainly the village will follow up and investigate the situation and try to resolve it.”

The suit also alleges that on Nov. 30, police officers grabbed Mr. Hillary’s 1-year-old son from his arms and forcefully seized his cellphone when they came to his home with a search warrant.

The search caused Mr. Hillary to suffer mental humiliation, pain and “great distress of mind and body,” the suit said.

The suit was prepared by attorney Manl Tafari, New York City.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer