First Amendment Coalition challenges plaintiffs' anonymity in defamation suit

A nonprofit group that promotes press freedom is asking a judge to unseal the names of two plaintiffs suing a woman and her mother for allegedly defaming them on social media with false claims of sexual assault.

The First Amendment Coalition filed the motion Wednesday with Burbank Superior Court Judge Frank M. Tavelman, arguing that the plaintiffs, named as John and Jane Roe, have no legal basis to remain anonymous in their suit against Jenna Smith and her mother, who is identified only as Mother Smith.

"This case does not involve the rarest of circumstances that would justify pseudonymity," the FAC motion states.

Doe and Roe cite no specific threat that would put them in danger of retaliatory physical or mental harm, the standards the courts generally require for pseudonymity, the FAC motion states.

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According to the suit filed May 23, Doe, Roe and Jenna Smith were students at Burroughs High School in Burbank and all three were members of a selection campus group called the Club. Doe and Roe were in a romantic relationship that continues Thursday now that they have graduated.

"The school showcased Jane Roe and John Doe in the Club," the suit states. "Roe and Doe were leaders in the Club in all aspects, by both performance and structure. Doe served in an officer position at the helm of the Club during his senior year."

In contrast, Jenna Smith participated in the shadows of Doe and Roe and the plaintiffs believe this caused her to become envious of them, the suit states.

In March 2023, Jenna Smith began her campaign against Doe and Roe by falsely telling another student that Doe had sexually assaulted the defendant and Roe, the suit states.

Jenna Smith subsequently "knowingly spread and published numerous false and defamatory statements to various social media applications, erroneously accusing John Doe of sexual assault," according to the suit.

Mother Smith "shared these wrongful allegations crafted by her daughter to numerous other parents of students," the suit states.

Doe and Roe, who were left feeling "utterly dejected (and) threatened, are uniquely talented in a specific area that they are both pursuing in collegiate study and both anticipate making careers in a highly public realm, the suit states.

"These untrue accusations and false statements could irreparably harm them both, ending their careers before they have even really begun to flourish," the suit states.

Doe was exonerated by the school district after Jenna Smith filed a complaint against him, the suit states.

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