The Atlantic Must Face Some of Freelancer’s Defamation Claims

A freelance writer may continue several defamation claims against the Atlantic Monthly Group LLC and its editor, but claims concerning statements the magazine made about her personal honesty aren’t actionable, a federal court said.

The Atlantic’s editor’s statements that Ruth Shalit Barrett was complicit in deceiving the magazine staff and its readers are consistent with Barrett’s own allegations in her complaint and aren’t sufficient to survive The Atlantic’s motion to dismiss, said Judge Loren L. AliKhan Monday for the US District Court for the District of Columbia. But a reasonable juror “could infer that the full cadre of statements paints ...