A Fairfax County teacher and a local parent have won more than $1 million combined after two juries sided with them in separate defamation lawsuits tied to posts on an X feed.
Robert Rigby, a Fairfax County Public Schools teacher, was awarded $350,000, while Vanessa Hall, a Fairfax County parent and community activist, was awarded $700,000 after suing David Gordon and The Virginia Project PAC.
The verdicts have turned a local online fight into a broader warning about reputation, school politics, and the legal limits of social media attacks.
For teachers and parents across Northern Virginia, the case hits close to home. A post may live online, but the damage can reach classrooms, neighborhoods, workplaces, and families.
A Local Reputation Fight
Rigby has spent years as a visible voice in Fairfax County education circles. He is a teacher and former president of FCPS Pride who has publicly advocated for LGBTQ youth…