Press Release: NJAC Victory Defending StopAntisemitism in Federal Defamation Case
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2026
CONTACT:
National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC)
Phone: (332) 278-1100
Email: press@njaclaw.org
NJAC VICTORY DEFENDING STOPANTISEMITISM IN FEDERAL DEFAMATION CASE
Judge sides with NJAC and StopAntisemitism on all counts, holding that its characterization of an Oregon teacher’s public statements was constitutionally protected opinion
PORTLAND, OR— The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC), together with co-counsel James L. Buchal of Murphy & Buchal, LLP., secured a significant First Amendment victory on behalf of StopAntisemitism, defeating all claims brought by an Oregon music teacher.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson of the District Court of Oregon granted StopAntisemitism’s Special Motion to Strike, rejecting claims for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, tortious interference with contractual relations, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The court dismissed the complaint with leave to amend and expressed skepticism that any amendment could cure the complaint’s identified deficiencies.
The lawsuit arose from a 2024 post in StopAntisemitism’s “Corrupting the Classroom” series highlighting Susan Lewis, a music teacher at Oregon’s Valley Catholic Music School. The post shared screenshots from Lewis’s public Facebook account, including posts describing Zionism as an “inherently violent & terroristic movement,” asserting that “If Jewish people want their own state they shouldn’t not put it on some else’s state,” and claiming that “Zionist Jews have managed to mentally condition humanity to accept and remian silent as they commit genocide in Palestine.” The court quoted Lewis’s statements and StopAntisemitism’s posts, which are available to read here and here.
StopAntisemitism characterized Lewis’s posts as, among other things, denying the Jewish connection to Israel and invoking the trope that Jews control humanity. Lewis sued over those characterizations among others and alleged that StopAntisemitism’s advocacy had caused her professional and personal harm.
The court rejected her claims, finding that all the challenged statements were constitutionally protected opinions under the First Amendment.
Judge Nelson explained that all four of Lewis’s claims arose from activity protected by Oregon’s anti-SLAPP law, stating that “the public is indeed interested in educators’ viewpoints on controversial topics, particularly where the educator has posted those viewpoints online for the world to see.” Further, because StopAntisemitism disclosed Lewis’ underlying statements, including screenshots and hyperlinks to the posts, the court concluded that StopAntisemitism was expressing its interpretation of Lewis’s words rather than purporting to quote her or assert undisclosed objective facts.
Oregon's anti-SLAPP statute provides that defendants like StopAntisemitism who prevail on their motion to strike shall be awarded attorney's fees.
“We are very gratified that the court granted our motion under the Oregon anti-SLAPP law, and enforced the law as intended: with the expedited dismissal of a non-meritorious lawsuit attacking constitutionally protected speech,” said Abra Siegel, NJAC Senior Litigation Counsel.
Liora Rez, StopAntisemitism’s Founder and Executive Director, called the ruling "a resounding victory for every organization working to expose antisemitism without fear of being silenced through meritless litigation. Educators who publicly promote false and derogatory views about Jews and Zionism cannot then weaponize the courts against those who accurately highlight and condemn their own words.
She added, “StopAntisemitism will never be intimidated into silence. We are grateful to the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Abra Siegel, James Buchal, and the entire legal team for defending our constitutional rights and securing this important victory."
NJAC was honored to represent StopAntisemism in this case and will continue fighting to ensure the legal system is not weaponized against those who speak out.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of the legal system to advocate for and protect Jewish civil rights using creative, innovative strategies.
For media inquiries or assistance, contact press@njaclaw.org or (332) 278-1100. This press release can be found at http://njaclaw.org on the News tab.
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