– Lawyer’s letter requests coach to
apologize for defamation of character
By Rawle Toney
Husband of Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) executive Mayfield Taylor-Trim, John Trim, has sent a lawyer’s letter to coach of the Guyana Road Runners athletics club Diablo Jamaal Shabazz, requesting an apology for recent remarks.
John Trim told Stabroek Sport that he was asking Shabazz to publicly make an apology to his wife for defamatory statements he made in the media about her involvement at this year’s National School Athletics, Swimming, Cycling and Teachers championships which was held in Linden.
Shabazz led a protest outside of the GTU after some districts said that they were unjustly treated at the event.
Taylor-Trim, who is from Linden, was the Chief Track Judge at that event.
The letter alleges that Shabazz had appeared on television programmes where the allegations were levelled.
John Trim, who is accusing Shabazz of making the derogatory statements against his wife, said that he was certainly not going to stand by and let the image of his wife, who he says has dedicated her entire life to athletics in Guyana, be tarnished.
Attorney-at-law Peter Hugh sent the letter on behalf of Trim.
The letter instructed Shabazz to use the same avenues that he used to defame his client in apologizing since they viewed his allegations as intentional dissemination and communicating of untruth about his client.
When contacted yesterday, Shabazz indicated that he did receive the letter but did not say whether he would be aqcuising to the demands of the letter.
He did say that the letter was brought to his home by a member of the Guyana Police Force but added that at the time he was not at home. Shabazz said that his daughter who was at home at the time told the rank that he was not at home. However, the rank returned later when apparently no one was at home and slid the letter under the door.
He questioned the legitimacy of the letter since it was delivered by a policeman.
“No police is not suppose to bring no letter from a lawyer to nobody’s house,” he declared.
Meanwhile, John Trim is contending that if the coach does not comply by tomorrow, the next letter will be one seeking legal redress.
He was reluctant to disclose the amount of compensation that he will seek on behalf of his wife.
