Webinar July 12, 2022
Can I Say It? Survivorship & Defamation After Depp v. Heard
Alongside the crescendo of publicly shared survivor stories in recent years, abusers and harassers have created their own crescendo: the threat—and execution—of defamation lawsuits. Now, survivors eager to speak out about the power and control that has oppressed them, sometimes for years, must weigh the risk that their abuser will sue them for telling their stories. Courts and legislatures have done little to curb this practice. As a result, people ranging from domestic abusers to fraternity brothers to Johnny Depp-like celebrities have taken up the defamation lawsuit as a tool to silence their survivors.
This webinar will explore the recent upward trend in anti-survivor defamation cases, explain what they entail in a legal sense, and provide advocates with tips for discussing related risks and resources with survivor clients.
Free for members / $25 for non-members
SPEAKER:
Sarah Nesbitt works at the D.C.-based law firm KCNF, where she is the June D. W. Kalijarvi Employment Law Fellow, serving clients experiencing employment discrimination as well as student survivors of rape sexual assault and harassment. Prior to KCNF, Sarah worked in her home state of Texas at the state’s domestic violence coalition, focusing on policy affecting survivors who interface with the court system. During law school, Sarah continued her anti-violence work, advocating to protect students’ civil rights through Title IX policy, organizing, and litigation. Upon graduation, Sarah was awarded the National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Student Award for her commitment to gender justice, and she was recognized for completing over 400 pro bono hours during her time as a student. Sarah is committed to lawyering for civil rights and ensuring that all students and employees have safe and equitable environments in which to thrive.
All registrants will receive a recording of this webinar offering. Closed captions will be provided during the webinar. A transcript will be sent to all registrants afterwards.