The Nevada Supreme Court last week kicked back to Washoe County’s Second Judicial District Court a defamation case filed by Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) biologist Carl Lackey.
Lackey claimed he was defamed on the NDOW Watch Facebook page and sued the page’s manager, Carolyn Stark, a noted critic of NDOW’s policies on bears.
“Lackey brought suit against Stark based on these third-party comments,” the Supreme Court judges wrote. “He alleged claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and civil conspiracy.”
Stark, however, did not author the posts in question. She fought Lackey’s claims with an anti-SLAPP motion. SLAPP lawsuits, or strategic litigation against public participation, are common tactics for people who feel aggrieved by comments uttered in public, often online, to sue their critics.
Read the rest at our sister publication, This Is Reno.
