Courant Claims Watchdog Court Victory Would Hurt Newspapers

The Courant has begun its defense in the wrongful termination lawsuit I brought against it last month by claiming that losing this case would have a detrimental effect on all newspapers and other media in Connecticut.

This case, lawyers for The Courant wrote, involves issues “that raise questions … on the freedom of the press and the Defendants’ ability to control the content of their newspaper.”

That claim was contained in The Courant’s request that the suit be transfered to the Complex Litigation Docket. The complete motion can be read by clicking on the link to the left.

The Courant will apparently be claiming that Connecticut Statute 31-51q creates a greater right of freedom of speech for the publishers of newspapers than it does for employees. It signaled that it will soon file a motion to dismiss based on that theory. Meanwhile, it has requested to depose me on Nov. 23.

The statute was passed by the state legislature to protect workers’ free speech rights in the workplace. My suit claims I was fired for refusing to be nice to key Courant advertisers in my role as the investigative consumer columnist.

“This case directly impacts the Defendants’ First Amendment rights, and threatens to set significant precedent in Connecticut that could negatively impact the First Amendment rights of newspaper publishers and other media outlets in this state,” attorneys Victoria Woodin Chavey and David C. Salazar-Austin, of the highly respected Hartford firm of Day Pitney, wrote.