A family in Georgia has filed a lawsuit against a grocery store worker over defamation and defamation over social media reports accusing them of planning and participating in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The case, filed by Kathryn, Thelma and William Cagle, alleges that Rayven Goolsby Through online harassment, the family was made “degraded and defamatory”. The family members accuse her of damaging their reputation and associating them with criminal activity, reports The Washington Post.
According to the Post, on January 6, Kathryn Cagle asked Facebook to ask for prayers for her and her mother, Thelma Cagle, and wrote, “Yes, Mom and I are in Washington, DC.”
‘I thought Kate Cagle [was] in the planning committee, I hope she does not intend to make a career out of planning riots, ‘Goolsby, a grocery store worker, later wrote on Facebook.
In another message addressed to Thelma Cagle, Goolsby wrote: ‘Did you not attend the uprising? I’m pretty sure you did. ‘
The Cagle family is prominent in local politics in Pickens County, the Post reports. The Post reports Kathryn Cagle is a former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Pickens County Georgia, while Thelma Cagle sang the national anthem at various pro-Trump rallies. William Cagle, Kathryn’s father and Thelma’s husband, recently had a term in the Pickens County Planning Commission.
Goolsby’s social media reports reportedly focused on Kathryna and Thelma Cagles’ alleged ‘central role’ in organizing participants in the Women for America First tour. The conservative women’s group was apparently heavily involved in organizing the “Stop the Steal” march that took place in the Capitol before the riots.
Andrew Fleischman, Goolsby’s lawyer, said the Cagles use the court system to intimidate his client.
“We should not be afraid that it could cost us thousands of dollars to criticize an important person in our community,” Fleischman told the Post. He argued that the Cagles are people of public interest and that Goolsby’s online messages fall under protected categories of speech, such as opinion, hyperbole and sarcasm.
Calges lawyer David McDonald told the newspaper that his clients did not want to turn their complaint into a political case.
‘Our customers are offended and that is the reason for the case. It’s our firm and the Cagle’s desire that we can hopefully resolve this in a beneficial and friendly way, ‘McDonald told The Post.