NH Supreme Court suspends attorney suing West Bridgewater, B-R over school mask mandates

CONCORD, N.H. – New Hampshire's highest court has suspended the law license of the attorney who filed five lawsuits against local school districts over mask mandates, including Bridgewater-Raynham and West Bridgewater.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court suspended Robert Fojo's law license on Dec. 21, barring him from practicing law in New Hampshire. The moves comes after allegations he mishandled nearly $100,000 in client funds.

In court documents, the New Hampshire Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Office alleged Fojo's office misappropriated two personal injury cases in the amount of $14,666.67 from one client, $33,350 from another client, and has engaged in the mishandling of an additional $50,020 of client funds held in trusts under his control.

The allegations were first brought by a client of Fojo's, who alleged she never received her settlement money from a personal injury case Fojo settled in early December 2020. The Attorney Discipline Office alleges after inconsistent communication and payments, Fojo's office used the money of other clients to pay once he was out of trust, meaning he didn't have the cash flow to pay it himself.

An investigation into his bookkeeping found the other misappropriated funds.

Failed school mask mandate lawsuits

Fojo has yet to win any of his cases related to mask mandates and COVID-19 policies in schools, none of which are related to the reason his law license was suspended.

His anti-mask mandate lawsuits in Massachusetts were consolidated into one case in Springfield, where Judge David Hodge denied a request for preliminary injunctions against the mask mandates, which also included West Bridgewater and the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. In all, Fojo named 14 school districts in the various lawsuits.

Nov. 22, 2021: Judge upholds school mask mandates in lawsuits targeting Hingham, Carver

Fojo then filed an appeal of the denial for a preliminary injunction on Dec. 16. A court hearing in the appeal is set for Jan. 18.

Fojo to challenge suspension

Fojo has filed his intent to challenge his suspension and will appear before a judge Tuesday, Jan. 4.

"I never misappropriated the funds from (the client's) settlement or intended to deprive her of them in any fashion. I would never do that to a client. What occurred was an internal error that I failed to correct in due time, and I have since taken steps to rectify it," he said in court documents.

Attorney Discipline Office lawyers said "there is a danger that Mr. Fojo will continue this course of conduct if he is not suspended from the practice of law."

Oct. 7, 2021: Hingham and Carver among 14 districts sued over legality of school mask mandates

According to court documents, an attorney from the state’s Attorney Discipline Office has been assigned to take possession of Fojo’s files to return to clients but will not take on any of his legal cases. Fojo has been ordered to notify his clients and any financial institutions of his law suspension.

The state’s Attorney Discipline Office said that, pending Tuesday's hearing, Fojo's clients will need to find new counsel if the court approves the suspension.

Fojo and his attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: N.H. suspends attorney suing Bridgewater Raynham over mask mandates