SLAPP’ed
Scientific truth shouldn’t be determined in a courtroom.
June 02, 2025 | Chelsea Polis, Inquisitive
Scientists like me are not trained in legal warfare. So when the notice arrived that I was being sued for defamation, it just did not compute…
… In scholarship, we live like the truth will set us free. And maybe it will. But in my case — in which lower and upper courts both found in my favor — freedom from the threat of financial ruin came only after a nearly two-year battle and the labor of many brilliant lawyers.
Scientific truth shouldn’t be determined in a courtroom. I’m now an advocate for passing state and federal anti-SLAPP legislation, the kind that could better protect people who speak out to protect the public from those with weak cases but deep pockets. Anti-SLAPP laws give courts the authority to quickly (before court costs mount) toss frivolous lawsuits intended to harass people into silence. I also recommend that scholars who are wary of legal harassment seek out pro bono pre-publication reviews and get to know organizations like the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Scholarly integrity and the public good mean we can’t afford to self-censor.