On Monday of this week, it was announced that Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville filed a civil lawsuit against the blog Barstool Sports as well as their associate Kirk Minihane.

Curtatone alleges that Minihane impersonated Boston Globe reporter Kevin Cullen and illegally recorded the phone interview for illicit purposes.

In a public statement shared on his Facebook account, the mayor said:

“I have filed a civil lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn against Kirk Minihane and Barstool Sports. It’s a straightforward complaint. Minihane recorded himself breaking the law, impersonating a Boston Globe reporter to obtain an interview with me, then Barstool posted the interview on its website. It’s a clear violation of Massachusetts General Law, which forbids audio recording a person without his/her consent, and you can’t obtain that consent through fraudulent means. Barstool flaunts its lack of respect for most things, but it needs to respect the laws that govern the business it conducts.”

Curtatone further indicated that any damages awarded from the suit would be donated to the RESPOND women’s shelter in Somerville.

Representatives of Barstool Sports have openly disputed the allegations, and a social media war of words has erupted between the concerned parties.

Barstool Sports is a sports and pop culture blog founded by Dave Portnoy in Milton, Massachusetts. The site, which has been owned since 2016 by The Chernin Group, a media holding company, is currently headquartered at 333 7th Avenue, New York City.