Kaplan v. Salahi [1]

Lee Kaplan, a freelance journalist and columnist for FrontPageMag.com [2], sued Yaman Salahi, a student blogger at the University of California at Berkeley, in small claims court for libel and interfering with business relations.

Salahi's blog, Lee Kaplan Watch [3], monitored and commented critically on Kaplan's pro-Israel articles and activities. Kaplan claimed that Salahi made false statements about him, including that Kaplan "represents the very worst of journalistic integrity and honesty, violating ethical norms by impersonating others and writing fabricated biographies of various persons involved in campus activism." Kaplan also claimd that Salahi sent letters and emails to Kaplan's potential employers.

Kaplan won in small claims court, and the judgment was affirmed on appeal. Salahi was ordered to pay Kaplan $7,500 in damages. The court did not release an opinion regarding its decision.