Former Theater Manager Sues Northampton Company Members for Defamation and Emotional Harm, Trial Nears Conclusion

Trigger Warning: Mention of Sexual Harassment and Grooming

Troy David Mercier is suing members of a Northampton theater company, 24 Hour Theater Project, an affiliate of Paintbox Theater Company, for $150,000 for alleged defamation and emotional harm. Mercier received a master’s in playwriting from Smith College and a bachelor’s degree in Theater from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Mercier began working at Paintbox Theater in 2004 and has been an active theater member since then. Paintbox Theater has used Smith’s theater facilities to host some of its performances before this suit.

Starting in 2017, Mr. Mercier served as the general manager at Paintbox Theater. He joined the 24-Hour Theater project in 2013 and has been a board member since 2017. In March of 2019, Susanna’ AC13, who asked that her last name not be shared, Myka Plunkett, Mark Gaudet, and one other Paintbox Theater company employee came into information that Mercier “had a grooming and systematic abuse style that was observed by more than one person,” according to an anonymous Smith college alum ’06, who is friends with Susanna.

Upon gathering this information via a letter authored by the multiple alleged victims of Mercier, Susanna, Plunkett, Gaudet, and the other employee, they provided the letter to the board of Paintbox Theater company, as the company does not have a Human Resources department, because they remained anonymous. The defamation suit has allowed for them to be named. The letter was not printed but read aloud by Plunkett. The board of Paintbox Theater unanimously voted to remove Mercier from the board.

Mercier denies these allegations and claims to have never seen the letter and to have no knowledge of who authored it. Mercier also claims that his reputation in the Pioneer Valley theater community has suffered as a result of this letter and is suing on three counts: tortious interference with prospective business relationships, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and defamation.

The suit was initially brought in 2019, but it has been ongoing since then and is currently being heard in a jury trial in the Hampshire County Courthouse. “He has dragged out for five years, and rescheduled and rescheduled, and she is paying out of pocket for that, and as a single person, that is a lot of debt to pay, especially working as a nanny and with theater kids – she had to report it.” stated the Smith alum of ’06.

Susanna created a GoFundMe” account to pay her legal fees. Still, the description of the “GoFundMe” states that she has experienced some major health complications related to the stress of the trial and has since been put on medication that has significantly affected her vision as well as other detrimental health issues.
The Sophian reached out to the counsel of Mr. Mercier but has yet to hear back at the publishing of this piece.

According to the Hampshire County Courthouse calendar, The jury is scheduled to begin deliberations Friday, Mar. 8.

“No one is talking about it. The courtroom isn’t filled with Smithies, and it should be. I want those pews filled,” stated the anonymous class of 2006 alum.
Information about the case is online and open to the public, and the trial is also open to the public and will be held tomorrow at the Hampshire Superior Court from 9 am to 1 pm, 3rd floor, Court Room 2.
This story is ongoing, and information will be added as it becomes available.

Update: 3/12/23 – On Monday 3/11/23 Susana was found liable on all counts by the jury. More information on the details of the rest of the trial will be available shortly along with a longer form article about the case and hearing.