Can disgruntled parishioners criticize their former house of worship via critical social media posts and articles?
A Mesa, Arizona, church’s defamation lawsuit against two former attendees and two bloggers says no.
But an anti-SLAPP motion filed by the defendants last week argues yes, calling the criticism constitutionally “protected speech.” The defendants also are fighting a temporary restraining order (TRO), which they contend is an attempt at “prior restraints on Defendants’ right to speak freely.”…