A Georgia family filed a lawsuit against a grocery store worker for defamation and slander in social media posts that accused them of planning and participating in the January 6 riot on the United States Capitol.
The lawsuit, filed by Kathryn, Thelma and William Cagle, claims that Rayven Goolsby “Discredited and defamed” the family through online harassment. Family members accuse her of damaging their reputation and associating them with criminal conduct, reports The Washington Post.
According to the Post, Kathryn Cagle accessed Facebook on January 6 to ask for prayers for her and her mother, Thelma Cagle, writing: “Yes, Mom and I are in Washington, DC”
“I thought Kate Cagle [was] on the planning committee, I hope she doesn’t plan to make a career out of planning riots, ”wrote Goolsby later on Facebook.
In another post addressed to Thelma Cagle, Goolsby wrote: “Did you not attend the insurrection? I’m sure yes. “
The Cagle family is prominent in local Pickens County politics, reports the Post. Kathryn Cagle is a former president of the Pickens County Georgia Republican Party, reports the Post, while Thelma Cagle sang the national anthem at several pro-Trump rallies. William Cagle, Kathryn’s father and Thelma’s husband, recently served on the Pickens County Planning Commission.
Goolsby’s social media posts allegedly focused on the supposed “central role” of Kathryna and Thelma Cagles in organizing the participants of the Women for America First tour. The group of conservative women was reportedly heavily involved in organizing the “Stop the Steal” rally that took place before the Capitol riot.
Andrew Fleischman, Goolsby’s lawyer, said the Cagles are using the judicial system to intimidate their client.
“We must not fear that criticizing an important person in our community could cost us thousands of dollars,” Fleischman told the Post. He argued that the Cagles are people of public interest and that Goolsby’s online posts fall into protected categories of speech, such as opinion, hyperbole and sarcasm.
David McDonald, a lawyer for Calges, told the newspaper that his clients did not want to turn their complaint into a political issue.
“Our customers are hurt and so is the process. It is the wish of our company and Cagle that we can resolve this in a mutually beneficial and friendly way, ”McDonald told The Post.