A lawsuit accusing a longtime Orange County Board of Education trustee of insulting, pushing to the ground and choking his neighbor in a road rage incident was dismissed with prejudice, according to court records.
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A civil lawsuit against Ken Williams, the board’s District 3 representative since 1996, was filed by his neighbor, Caden O’Malley, in January 2024.
The complaint accused Williams of retaliating when O’Malley, then 20 years old, tried to pass him as the two drove on El Toro Road in Silverado on March 11, 2023. The complaint alleges Williams pulled in front of O’Malley as he tried to pass, that O’Malley pulled over to let him pass and Williams also pulled over, confronting O’Malley when he tried to take a picture of Williams’ license plate. The complaint alleged Williams pushed O’Malley to the ground and choked him before driving away.
No criminal charges were filed in connection with the incident, with prosecutors “unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who the primary aggressor was. Mutual combat with valid self-defense argument by both,” according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office in 2024.
The suit was dismissed in July 2026, but learned of by the Orange County Register this week. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled by the plaintiff.
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“Mr. O’Malley and Dr. Williams had different versions of the incident at issue in the lawsuit. Dr. Williams has always maintained that he was acting in self-defense,” David Libman, Williams’ attorney, wrote in an email.
“Hence, the parties entered an agreement in June 2026 in exchange for a mutual release of claims; no money was exchanged. Per that settlement agreement, the dismissal was then filed by Mr. O’Malley (via his counsel).”
An attorney listed in court documents as representing O’Malley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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