A former Newport city employee who was barred from public property by the city has settled a lawsuit over the no-trespass order he received.
Andrew Cappello worked in Newport’s Parks and Recreation Department for more than a decade before he quit his job because of his tumultuous relationship with his bosses, according to court documents. Soon after, in August 2021, he was issued a no-trespass order while at the city’s Prouty Beach Campground.
The city’s parks director demanded Cappello leave the public property, and when Cappello refused, the lawsuit alleges, a Newport police officer arrived and issued him the order without any explanation.
In January 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont filed a lawsuit on behalf of Cappello. This week, the ACLU announced the suit had reached a settlement, dated July 11, in which Cappello received $30,000 from the city, as first reported by Newport Daily Express.
When the ACLU filed the suit, the nonprofit organization cited a pattern of Vermont cities barring citizens from public spaces and forums, including in Burlington, Montpelier and Rutland Town.
“Forbidding someone from moving freely in a public space and participating in community life is in direct conflict with our most basic constitutional freedoms,” Hillary Rich, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Vermont, said in a press release announcing the settlement this week.
After receiving the no-trespass order, Cappello was unable to volunteer for his kids’ T-ball teams on city property and could not fulfill all the responsibilities of his new job with the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, which required him to access a city-owned beach, according to the suit. He also was given no means of challenging the order, he alleged.
As part of the settlement, Newport Mayor Rick Ufford-Chase issued a statement expressing regret for the events that led to Cappello’s no-trespass order. The settlement also stated that the city’s police department will adopt a policy that it will not issue or enforce no-trespass orders for city property.
“I’m thrilled to be welcomed back to the City of Newport, and I’m especially pleased to learn that town officials will no longer be issuing vague trespass notices that needlessly block people from visiting parks, beaches, and other public places,” Cappello said in a statement.
Ufford-Chase, who was elected as mayor in March 2025, was not available for comment before publication.
