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ARTICLE · 30 SEPTEMBER 2022

Anti-SLAPP Motion Protects TCDSB Trustees From Defamation Claim

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In Volpe v. Wong-Tam 2022 ONSC 3106, the Ontario Superior Court granted an anti-SLAPP motion and dismissed a defamation suit against City of Toronto councillors and Toronto Catholic...

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Kayla Cockburn
Kayla Cockburn
Nadya Tymochenko
Nadya Tymochenko
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In Volpe v. Wong-Tam 2022 ONSC 3106, the Ontario Superior Court granted an anti-SLAPP motion and dismissed a defamation suit against City of Toronto councillors and Toronto Catholic District School Board ("TCDSB") school trustees.

The plaintiffs, M.T.E.C. Consultants Ltd., which operates as Corriere Canadese, an Italian language newspaper, and Joseph Volpe, the publisher of Corriere Canadese, published a series of articles attacking the TCDSB's efforts at LGBTQ2S+ inclusion. The plaintiff also specifically attacked the Board's promotion of Youthline, a mental health support resource for LGBTQ2S+ youth.

In response to the articles, some of Toronto's city counsellors, including Councillor Wong-Tam proposed a motion seeking to have the City halt all publications in the plaintiff's newspaper unless it complied with the City of Toronto's Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy. Some TCDSB trustees issued statements in a joint letter with the city

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