A Northern Virginia court in June rejected social media efforts to damage the reputation of a teacher and parent, awarding them more than $1 million in combined damages.
Robert Rigby Jr., a longtime educator and advocate for LGBTQ+ students, said after the leader of conservative political action committee Virginia Project posted unfounded accusations that he was a child sex predator online, his students’ interest in the Latin course he teaches wavered.
“When rumors started spreading that kids didn’t even take my class because these things were being said … that’s always every teacher’s fear,” Rigby said. “It’s always every gay teacher’s fear.”
The students’ reaction emphasized that the remarks weren’t simply harsh opinions, Rigby said, but false statements that carry consequential weight.
Across the country, social media campaigns targeting educators have been on the rise, including in Roanoke County and South Carolina, amid contentious school board politics that test the legal boundaries of free speech and defamation.
Rigby and the other plaintiff, Vanessa Hall, who are both active in Fairfax County Public Schools committees and advocacy, alleged that defendant David Gordon, founder of the Virginia Project, used his X account to publish false and malicious statements that damaged their personal and professional reputations.
Virginia’s anti-SLAPP law was central to the case, highlighting the legal limits of false speech, the civil liability it can create, and the...
A Northern Virginia court in June rejected social media efforts to damage the reputation of a teacher and parent, awarding them more than $1 million in combined damages. Robert Rigby Jr., a longti...