Florio v. Gallaudet University, No. 22-7117 (D.C. Cir. 2024)
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In 1989, thirty-four members of the Kappa Gamma fraternity at Gallaudet University were photographed performing the Bellamy salute, which resembles the Nazi salute. Thirty years later, the president of Gallaudet described Kappa Gamma as the "face of systemic racism" at the university, and The Washington Post republished this statement, describing the photograph as depicting "anti-Semitic" behavior and a "Nazi salute." Four alumni of Gallaudet’s Kappa Gamma chapter, including the estate of a deceased member, sued Gallaudet and the Post for defamation and related torts.
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the complaint, concluding that none of the disputed statements concerned the plaintiffs and that many of the statements were not actionable. The plaintiffs appealed the decision.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reviewed the case and disagreed in part with the district court. The appellate court concluded that the statements about the photograph did concern the individuals who appeared in it. However, the court agreed with the district court that these statements were protected opinions and thus not actionable. The court held that the statements describing the students in the photograph as the "face of systemic racism" and "anti-Semitic" were not provably false and were therefore protected opinions. Consequently, the appellate court affirmed the district court's dismissal of the complaint.
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