California Court Allows Employer’s Defamation Lawsuit to Proceed against Protestors.

An employer’s defamation lawsuit against protesters who wrongly accused it of racially motivated firings could proceed, the California Court of Appeal has ruled in an unpublished opinion. Overhill Farms Inc. v. Lopez, No. G042984 (Cal. Ct. App. Nov. 15, 2010). Affirming the denial of the protestors’ motion to dismiss the employer’s complaint, the Court rejected their argument that the accusations were a form of protected expressions of opinion. Instead, the Court found the protestors’ statements were factual assertions that the employer could challenge. The Court further ruled that Section 425.16 of the California Civil Code, commonly known as the “anti-SLAPP” law, did not preclude the employer’s defamation claim.