Austin school board member Curt Rude has sued the school district and former superintendent Candace Raskin.

Rude’s complaint has been filed against Austin School District alleging defamation, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, vicarious liability, negligent supervision and negligent retention, said the district’s lawyer, Margaret Skelton of Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. in Minneapolis.

Rude seeks damages in excess of $50,000, which is the minimum required to be attached to a civil lawsuit.

“The district believes that there is no merit to the complaint,” Skelton said.

The suit is in its initial stages, and if it is not dismissed, it will be filed in Mower County civil court in a couple of weeks, she said.

Skelton met with Superintendent David Krenz and the school board, without Rude, in a closed meeting Wednesday morning to talk legal strategy.

When leaving the meeting, school board members said they had no comment. Krenz said his responses will be through legal counsel only.

The district served its answer denying the allegations in the complaint on Nov. 25.

Rude did not return calls for comment.

Raskin did not immediately return a call for comment.

Rude, an on-leave captain with the Austin Police Department, was elected to the school board in 2007.

On Nov. 5, he was convicted of felony controlled substance crime in the fifth degree and misdemeanor interfering with property in official custody for allegedly taking prescription drugs from the APD evidence room nearly two years ago. He was acquitted of felony theft.

Rude is on unpaid suspension from the police department, but he has continued to serve on the school board.

He became a truck driver after he was put on leave of the Austin Police Department.

Rude attended 11 of 22 school board meetings in 2009 and 27 of 32 school board meetings in 2008. Other board members were absent no more than four meetings per year.

The next scheduled school board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 14 in Austin City Hall.