Liberty University sues The New York Times for defamation over coronavirus coverage

LYNCHBURG — Liberty University sued The New York Times for defamation on Wednesday, accusing the newspaper and a reporter of crafting a “clickbait” story intended to mislead the public about a coronavirus outbreak at the school’s Lynchburg campus.

In a 55-page complaint filed in Lynchburg Circuit Court, the university took aim at a March 29 story in which The Times reported that about a dozen students living on campus were sick with symptoms suggesting COVID-19.

The lawsuit argues that reporter Elizabeth Williamson deliberately misrepresented a Liberty-affiliated physician who the school claims told the paper that nearly 12 students only showed signs of “upper respiratory infections.”

Lawyers for Liberty claim in the suit that an upper respiratory infection is not indicative of COVID-19 but rather milder illnesses, like the common cold.

Read more: https://richmond.com/news/virginia/liberty-university-sues-the-new-york-times-for-defamation-over-coronavirus-coverage/article_7db8be46-d423-5a2c-98d0-a203b54a4626.html