MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie filed a civil lawsuit against Kevin Cunnane, a former town councilmember, who allegedly repeatedly claimed that Haynie is a pedophile.

The tensions in the case date back to the mid-to-late 2010s, when they both emerged in Mount Pleasant local politics. In May 2018, Cunnane allegedly posted a vulgar message on Facebook, to which Haynie responded that it was beneath the office he was elected to serve (town council member). Haynie alleges it is from that moment that Cunnane began "harboring a personal grudge," according to court documents filed on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

In the lawsuit, Mayor Haynie alleges that Cunnane repeatedly and falsely told others that Haynie is a pedophile. Haynie claims the statements were knowingly false, malicious and made with reckless disregard for the truth.

Because Haynie is a public figure, the lawsuit argues that Cunnane acted with actual malice – meaning he either knew the statements were false or made them with reckless disregard for whether they were true.

The lawsuit outlines three key incidents: It alleges that on Dec. 8, 2023, Cunnane told a third party that Haynie was a pedophile. Haynie says he first learned of the allegation later that month, on Dec. 26. The suit further alleges that in mid-October of this year, Cunnane repeated the claim and expanded it to include another individual. The lawsuit emphasizes that the statements were made to others and not solely in private.

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