Butler University CyberSLAPP Against Student

In a paradigmatic CyberSLAPP, Butler University in Indiana brought suit against an anonymous poster who had made comments about the school’s dean. The school filed a libel suit, which some commentators called “hopeless,” in January of 2009.

The Court ordered the student’s name revealed in June, and Butler then attempted to convince the student to agree to some sort of internal sanction. The student refused — the school said in a statement that she “maintained that no sanctions were warranted” — prompting Butler to file a disciplinary proceeding against him in October 2009. Immediately thereafter, the university sought to withdraw its libel complaint.

See Butler University v. John Doe, Case. No. 49D020901PL001164 (Filed Jan. 8, 2009).

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