As iMediaEthics previously reported, Harvey Purtz filed a lawsuit against the editor-in-chief of the Daily Californian, UC Berkeley’s student newspaper, for not removing an article and two blog posts from its website. The stories were about Purtz’s deceased son, Chris Purtz, a former football player for UC Berkeley.
Harvey Purtz asked for the editor-in-chief, Rajesh Srinivasen, to remove the stories but Srinivasen said no. Purtz then sued for $7,500 as a result of “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”
A court found in favor of the Daily Californian’s editor-in-chief Rajesh Srinivasen. “The court ruled that libel on the memory of deceased person is not deemed to inflict legal action constituting defamation on surviving relatives,” according to the Daily Californian. Also, the statue of limitations — two years for emotional distress after first publication — had passed.
“I’m pleased that the court made the right decision,” Srinivasan is quoted as saying. “While I’m open to talking to (Purtz) in the future, I anticipate the decision will be the same. Nevertheless, I sympathize with Mr. Purtz.”
Hat Tip: Romenesko