Wilson v. McCollum [1]

Anika Wilson, a psychiatrist in Alabama, filed a lawsuit against Tara McCollum and two pseudonymous posters on AL.com [2], the website for the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and several other newspapers in Alabama.

According to Wilson's complaint [3], McCollum sent an email to a third-party in which she defamed Wilson by falsely claiming that she had been "stalking"  McCollum and  "trying to slander" her in the community.  Compl. ¶ 2.  Wilson also alleges in her complaint that two users going by the names "tphorse" and "zjones16" posted defamatory comments on AL.com [2] in February and March 2009, falsely stating, among other things, that she was "responsible for all of that taxpayer money getting stolen" and that she is "diseased and crazy and sleeping with every married man."  Compl. ¶¶ 4-5.

Wilson's six-count complaint includes claims for defamation, defamation per se, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and publication of private facts.  She also leaves open the possibility of adding additional defendants:

Other screen names or defendants may have defamed the plaintiff on internet forums, emails, message boards, blogs, or other computer based communications.   Plaintiff will amend to add additional defendants and specific defamatory matter when discovered.

Compl. ¶ 6.