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Rhode Island public school charges mother $117K for records request about teacher who called Charlie Kirk ‘garbage’

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Rhode Island public school charges mother 7K for records request about teacher who called Charlie Kirk ‘garbage’


A Rhode Island public school district reportedly charged a mother roughly $117,000 for records pertaining to a high school teacher who was placed on paid leave after calling slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk a “piece of garbage.”

Benjamin Fillo, a social studies teacher at Barrington High School, was ousted in September shortly after posting a rant on TikTok branding Kirk a “piece of garbage” who “hated” the LGBTQ community, women’s rights, and democracy.

Benjamin Fillo, a social studies teacher at Barrington High School, was placed on paid leave after posting a rant about Charlie Kirk on TikTok. @whawazat18/TikTok

One irate mother submitted a public records request for information related to Fillo’s school email and course materials — but the district pushed back with a steep fee, according to a letter from the law firm representing Barrington Public Schools.

Nicole Solas sought to obtain any emails Fillo sent from Sept. 1 2024 onward referencing “Trump” and a secondary request for more email correspondences sent since Jan 1. 2016 also flagging “Trump.”

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Solas additionally asked for all of Fillo’s “curriculum materials” he used “to teach the young and impressionable minds of other people’s children who are entitled to an education free from indoctrination,” according to the letter.

Nicole Solas, a parent who doesn’t have children in the Barrington School District, sought to obtain Fillo’s curriculum and emails.

The law firm wrote that Solas clarified she was looking for all material Fillo used since he started teaching at the school in 2010, which came out to thousands of documents from 157 courses stored in three different learning management systems, according to the letter.

The records request flagged a staggering 789 emails Fillo sent containing the word “Trump” since Sept. 1 2024, according to the letter.

Solas’ request, though, wasn’t cheap.

If she wanted to obtain all the requested materials, she would have to fork over $117,130.50 — with the 15-year curriculum alone costing roughly $116,000, according to the letter.

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Fillo called Kirk a “piece of garbage” who “hated” democracy. AP

“This estimate that we received is exorbitant, completely unreasonable, just to get the curriculum materials,” Solas told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday.

Solas told the outlet that she insisted on reviewing the curriculum materials in full because that is “the only way that you can see what kids are [doing] in public schools.”

Solas noted that she does not live in the Barrington School District and sent her children to private school.

She’s now pushing the school to release the materials free of charge.

“I just don’t see how this can stand if we file a lawsuit on it,” Solas said.

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Parents and students went to a school board meeting pushing for Fillo to be permanently removed from the school in September. Barrington Public Schools

Shortly after Fillo was placed on leave, a group of outraged students and parents stormed into a school board meeting to push for Fillo’s permanent removal.

“No matter what anyone says to me, I will never stand for violence, especially of a man who was publicly murdered in front of his wife, one of his children and thousands of students and other bystanders,” Jakari, one of Fillo’s students, said during the meeting.

Kirk was assassinated during a stop on his Turning Point USA American Comeback tour at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. His alleged gunman, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice.



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Ranking Rhode Island’s Most Popular Charity License Plates – Rhode Island Monthly

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Ranking Rhode Island’s Most Popular Charity License Plates – Rhode Island Monthly


When it comes to expressing ourselves, Rhode Islanders have elevated license plates to an art form. You might not be able to get a new vanity plate — the state suspended applications in 2021 after a judge ruled a Tesla owner could keep his FKGAS plates — but you can still express your Rhody pride with one of seventeen state-approved charity plates. The program has funded ocean research, thrown parades, saved crumbling lighthouses and even provided meals for residents. About half of the $43.50 surcharge goes to the associated charity, while the other half covers the production cost.

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License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Atlantic Shark Institute

Year first approved: 2022

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Plates currently on road: 7,007

Total raised: $269,530

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Plum Lighthouse

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse

Year first approved: 2009

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Plates currently on road: 5,024

Total raised: $336,890

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Wildlife

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island

Year first approved: 2013

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Plates currently on road: 2,102

Funds raised: $32,080

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Rocky Point 1

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Rocky Point Foundation

Year first approved: 2016

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Plates currently on road: 1,616

Funds raised: $50,450

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Food Bank

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Year first approved: 2002

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Plates currently on road: 765

Funds raised since 2021: $11,060*

*Prior to 2021, customers ordered plates directly through the food bank, and total revenue numbers are not available.

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Patriots

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

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New England Patriots Charitable Foundation

Year first approved: 2009

Plates currently on road: 1,472

Funds raised: $136,740

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Conservation

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

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Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Save the Bay

Year first approved: 2006

Plates currently on road: 1,132

Funds raised: $61,380 for each organization (proceeds split evenly)

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Bruins 1

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Boston Bruins Foundation

Year first approved: 2014

Plates currently on road: 1,125

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Funds raised: $36,880

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Beavertail

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association

Year first approved: 2023

Plates currently on road: 1,105

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Funds raised: $37,610

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Fourth Of July

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Bristol Fourth of July Committee

Year first approved: 2011

Plates currently on road: 1,104

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Funds raised: $17,640

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Red Sox

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Red Sox Foundation

Year first approved: 2011

Plates currently on road: 860

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Funds raised: $88,620

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Gloria Gemma

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation

Year first approved: 2012

Plates currently on road: 1,510

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Funds raised: $33,360

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Pc Friars

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Providence College Angel Fund

Year first approved: 2016

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Plates currently on road: 693

Funds raised: $23,220

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Rose Island

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust

Year first approved: 2022

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Plates currently on road: 383

Funds raised: $10,640

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Ponham Lighthouse

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

Year first approved: 2022

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Plates currently on road: 257

Funds raised: $7,580

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Portugal

License plate images courtesy of the Rhode island division of motor vehicles.

Day of Portugal and Portuguese Heritage in RI Inc.

Year first APPROVED: 2018

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Plates currently on road: 132

Funds raised: $3,190





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Rhode Island AG to unveil long-awaited report on Diocese of Providence clergy abuse

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Rhode Island AG to unveil long-awaited report on Diocese of Providence clergy abuse


PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.

According to the attorney general’s office, the report will detail the diocese’s handling of clergy abuse over decades.

While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.

Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.

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Neronha’s investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha’s office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.

Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.



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St. Patrick’s Day 2026: Your Guide To Fun In Rhode Island

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St. Patrick’s Day 2026: Your Guide To Fun In Rhode Island


Rhode Islanders who plan to join in the global celebration of Irish culture can choose from big and small events, including a parade in Providence.

The March 17 holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, and many big events will be held the weekend of March 14-15. Originally a modest, religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day today is a vibrant, boisterous holiday observed by millions of people regardless of their heritage.

The Providence parade is March 21.

We’ve rounded up 10 more events to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But first, are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!

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Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun in Rhode Island:





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