CINCINNATI (CN) - A former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader can pursue claims that theDirty.com defamed her by falsely accusing her of having sexually transmitted diseases and of sleeping with the entire NFL team, the 6th Circuit ruled.
In a 2009 federal complaint, former Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones claimed that the website posted articles stating that Jones' boyfriend had cheated on her with at least 50 other women, that it was "sure" Jones had chlamydia and gonorrhea, and that she had slept with the entire Bengals team.
The website also allegedly named the school where she was working.
A federal judge in Kentucky refused to grant summary judgment on the basis of immunity to the website's operators, including Dirty World Entertainment and Hooman Karamian aka Nik Richie aka Corbin Grimes.
The 6th Circuit affirmed, finding that the website is not exempt from liability under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996 for photos and third-party information.
"Although the defendants have invoked their alleged right not to stand trial under the CDA, they have failed to demonstrate how a substantial public interest will be imperiled by delaying their appeal until after the District Court enters a final order," the unsigned opinion states.
Jones faces a criminal trial in June for sex-abuse charges related to an alleged affair with a student while teaching at Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Ky.
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