The ex-husband of the former president of the University of La Verne is fighting back against her motion to win dismissal of his lawsuit, which alleges she defamed him in a book by claiming he attempted to kidnap their daughter and traffic her in Iran.
The ex-president, Pardis Mahdavi, is asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Colin Leis to toss out plaintiff Ahmad Kiarostami's case under the state's anti-SLAPP -- Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation --law. It's intended to prevent people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate those who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
Mahdavi and the San Francisco businessman were married for about 4 1/2 years and had a daughter before their divorce was finalized in November 2012. Mahdavi is the author of the book , "This Goes Out to the Underground: A Mother, Her Daughter, and How We All Rise Together."
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Mahdavi began her post at ULV last Aug. 15 and resigned in June, citing personal reasons.
In a sworn declaration filed Friday as part of his opposition to Mahdavi's motion, Kiarostami denies trying to abduct the former couple's daughter and says he never tried to go outside California without first getting Mahdavi's consent.
"Since reading the false statements in the book, I have experienced shame, mortification, anxiety, embarrassment and hurt feelings," Kiarostami says. "'Additionally, I feel as though my reputation in the community has been substantially tarnished."
The former couple's daughter's U.S. passport has always been with Mahdavi, with the exception of trips he took with the girl to Vancouver and Spain, Kiarostami says.
The book also contains multiple additional falsehoods about Kiarostami, including that he was unfaithful to Mahdavi during their marriage and that he lacked a steady income, according to the plaintiff.
In 2009-11, Kiarostami earned more money than Mahdavi in two of those years, including his income of $168,000 in 2011 compared to her $88,000, Kiarostami further says.
Kiarostami also alleges the co-defendant publisher, Hachette Book Group Inc., was negligent and possible reckless in publishing the book because the truth could have been determined with "minimal fact checking."
But in their anti-SLAPP motion, Mahdavi's attorneys state that Kiarostami -- unhappy with Mahdavi's portrayal of their acrimonious relationship, divorce and child custody battle -- filed a retaliatory defamation lawsuit against Mahdavi and her publisher.
Each of the allegedly defamatory statements were either not actually in the book, not actionable as defamation, protected under the First Amendment or substantially true, Mahdavi's lawyers further maintain in their court papers.
In December 2021, Mahdavi and her publisher distributed hundreds of advance copies of the book, though Mahdavi ultimately canceled its formal release, according to her attorneys' court papers, which further state that the ULV president has published eight books and that her study areas include human trafficking, migration, sexuality, human rights and feminism.
Mahdavi and Kiarostami married in 2008, their daughter was born in 2010 and they separated a year later, according to Mahdavi's attorneys court papers, which further state that their relationship was tumultuous throughout their separation and the subsequent divorce and child custody proceedings.
Mahdavi alleges she suffered bruised wrists during a 2012 altercation with Kiarostami and that she later obtained a temporary restraining order against him on behalf of herself and their daughter.
Mahdavi's lawyers also maintain Kiarostami's defamation claim is barred by the statute of limitations. A hearing on the anti-SLAAP motion is scheduled Aug 1.
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