From today's decision by Judge Paul Oetken in Atas v. N.Y. Times Co.:
Plaintiff Nadire Atas, proceeding pro se, brings this action against Defendants The New York Times Company [and others], alleging defamation. According to Atas, The Times—through news articles, podcast episodes, and interviews of its journalists—defamed her by describing her as a mentally ill woman who has engaged in years-long campaigns of harassment against her perceived enemies using the internet and the Canadian court system…. [Defendants'] motions to dismiss are granted….
On January 30, 2021, The Times published an article titled "A Vast Web of Vengeance" on its website and in print. The article, written by Defendant [Kashmir] Hill, described the phenomenon of "complaint sites," which allow anonymous internet users to post malicious and often false accusations about people for the purpose of retribution for perceived slights. It reported that Plaintiff is one such person, responsible for anonymous internet posts targeting those who have slighted her with unfounded accusations of pedophilia, theft, and fraud, among other offenses. The article also reported on Canadian court proceedings against Plaintiff for defamation. It included the statement that in 2017, Judge David Corbett of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice deemed Plaintiff "a vexatious litigant who was 'ungovernable and bent on a campaign of abuse and harassment.'" Additionally, the article reported that on January 28, 2021, the same judge had issued a ruling stating that Plaintiff was responsible for "unlawful acts of reprisal" [referred to as the Caplan Judgment -EV].
On February 10, 2021, The Times published a follow-up article reporting that Plaintiff had been arrested the previous day for harassment and libel. On February 17, 2021, Hill gave an interview on CBC Radio referencing the two articles. On April 6, 2021, Defendant Michael Barbaro interviewed Hill about her reporting on The Daily Podcast, which is published by The Times.
