The Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected a dental patient’s attempt to throw out a defamation lawsuit filed against them.
Liya Hou posted several negative online reviews about her experience as a patient of J&D Dental in Minneapolis. J&D Dental filed a lawsuit against Ms. Hou in district court, alleging that her reviews were false and defamatory.
Ms. Hou filed to dismiss the lawsuit under a state law passed in 2024 to protect speech deemed a matter of public concern. However, the district court stated her reviews did not fall under the law’s scope, a ruling the appeals court upheld Sept. 15, according to court documents.
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