Tennessee

Grade: B

Tennessee has a good anti-SLAPP law. It was enacted in 1997 and updated in 2019. More info on TN’s new anti-SLAPP law here:

https://scotblog.org/2019/07/the-tennessee-public-participation-act%E2%81%A0-tennessees-first-ever-meaningful-anti-slapp-law%E2%81%A0-takes-effect/

Statute or Case Law? Any Forum? Any Public Issue? Mandatory Attorney Fees/Costs? Additional Burden? Amendment After Grant? Amendment While Pending? Immediate Appeal?
Tenn. Code. Ann. section 4-21-1001 – 21-1004 (1997) Y Y Y Y ? ? Y
 

TENN. CODE ANN. §§ 4-21-1001 -21-1004 (1997)

Any person, who in furtherance of right of free speech or petition in connection with a public or government issue, communicates information regarding another person or entity to any government agency regarding a matter of concern of that agency, unless with knowledge or reckless disregard of falsity with regards to a public figure or negligence of falsity with regards to private figure, is immune from civil liability.

A Tennessee court ruled that a plaintiff seeking to unmask an anonymous blogger’s identity must first make a sufficient legal and factual showing on the underlying claim.

 

Tennessee SLAPP Stories:

Featured
Nashville startup sues reporter over blog
Nashville startup sues reporter over blog

A Nashville orthodontics startup filed suit against Gizmodo Media Group and the author of a story criticizing its product.

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Eminent Domain Abuse SLAPP in Tennessee

In Tennessee, the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition (CPRC), a grassroots group formed to fight the eminent domain abuse, ran an ad in the local newspaper criticizing elected officials and developers for backing a redevelopment plan including eminent domain. The ad said, in part, “This Redevelopment Plan is of the developers, by the developers, and for the developers.”

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