A Georgia family has filed a lawsuit against a grocery store employee for defamation and libel over social media posts accusing them of planning and participating in the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
The lawsuit, brought by Kathryn, Thelma and William Cagle, alleges that Rayven Goolsby The family “belittled and slandered” through online harassment. The family members accuse her of harming their reputation and linking them to criminal behavior, The Washington Post reports.
According to the Post, Kathryn Cagle took to Facebook on January 6 to ask for prayers for herself and her mom, Thelma Cagle, and wrote, “Yes, mom and I are in Washington, DC”
I thought Kate Cagle [was] on the planning committee, I hope she has no intention of making a career out of planning riots, ”grocer Goolsby later wrote on Facebook.
In another post addressed to Thelma Cagle, Goolsby wrote, ‘Did you not attend the uprising? I’m pretty sure you did. “
The Cagle family is prominent in Pickens County local politics, the Post reports. Kathryn Cagle is a former chairman of the Pickens County Republican Party, the Post reports, while Thelma Cagle has sung the national anthem at several pro-Trump rallies. William Cagle, Kathryn’s father and Thelma’s husband, was recently a member of the Pickens County Planning Commission.
Goolsby’s social media posts reportedly focused on the alleged “central role” of Kathryna and Thelma Cagles in organizing visitors for the Women for America First tour. The conservative women’s group was reportedly deeply involved in the organization of the “Stop the Steal” rally that took place before the Capitol riot.
Andrew Fleischman, Goolsby’s attorney, said the Cagles are using the legal system to intimidate his client.
“We need not worry that criticizing an important person in our community could cost us thousands of dollars,” Fleischman told the Post. He argued that the Cagles are people of public interest and that Goolsby’s online messages fell into protected categories of speech, such as opinion, exaggeration, and sarcasm.
David McDonald, a lawyer for the Calges, told the paper that his clients did not want to turn their complaint into a political issue.
“Our customers are sad and that’s the reason for the suit. It is the wish of our company and the Cagle that we can hopefully resolve this in a mutually beneficial and amicable way, ”McDonald told The Post.