Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Yeagle v. Collegiate Times
I have a teenager's sense of humor, so one of my favorite First Amendment cases to teach is Yeagle v. Collegiate Times, in which Virginia Tech's student paper identified a university staffer as the “Director of Butt Licking" -- and the staffer sued for libel.
Link to tweet
Yeagle vs Collegiate Times Defamation Case by Maggie Miller
Sharon D. Yeagle was an assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she “facilitated the participation of students in the 1996 Governor’s Fellowship Program.” In an article in The Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech’s student newspaper, about the program, text attributing a block quote to Yeagle identified her position as “Director of Butt Licking.” Yeagle sued for defamation, arguing that the literal interpretation of the article accused her of committing an act that was illegal under Virginia’s anti-sodomy statutes and also implied that she “curries favor with others by disingenuous behavior or directs others to do so.”
The Virginia Supreme Court confirmed the ruling of a lower court that ruled against Yeagle, arguing that the no reasonable reader could believe that “Director of Butt Licking” was in anyway an accurate reflection of Yeagle’s job or job performance and nothing more than a rhetorical device. Therefore, it can not be considered defamatory.
1 Yeagle vs Collegiate Times Primary Sources
2 Yeagle vs Collegiate Times Further Information
3 Yeagle vs. Collegiate Times Audio/Visual Information
Sharon D. Yeagle was an assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she “facilitated the participation of students in the 1996 Governor’s Fellowship Program.” In an article in The Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech’s student newspaper, about the program, text attributing a block quote to Yeagle identified her position as “Director of Butt Licking.” Yeagle sued for defamation, arguing that the literal interpretation of the article accused her of committing an act that was illegal under Virginia’s anti-sodomy statutes and also implied that she “curries favor with others by disingenuous behavior or directs others to do so.”
The Virginia Supreme Court confirmed the ruling of a lower court that ruled against Yeagle, arguing that the no reasonable reader could believe that “Director of Butt Licking” was in anyway an accurate reflection of Yeagle’s job or job performance and nothing more than a rhetorical device. Therefore, it can not be considered defamatory.
1 Yeagle vs Collegiate Times Primary Sources
2 Yeagle vs Collegiate Times Further Information
3 Yeagle vs. Collegiate Times Audio/Visual Information
