Thomas
Thomas v. Los Angeles Times Communications LLC
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM *
Michel Thomas appeals the dismissal of his action for defamation against the Los *802 Angeles Times and a Times reporter, Roy Rivenburg. The Times published an article, written by Rivenburg, about Thomas’s remarkable life story. Thomas contends that the human-interest story, which was entitled “Larger Than Life,” and was published on the first page of the Southern California Living section, gave rise to two defamatory implications: first, that he lied about some of his exploits during and following World War II, and second, that his language instruction program is a sham.
The district court granted the defendants’ motion to strike the complaint pursuant to California’s anti-SLAPP statute. Cal. Civ. P.Code § 425.16. 1 That statute provides that a defendant may make a special, expedited motion to strike in cases involving the defendant’s rights to free speech or to petition for redress of grievances. In order to prevail against such a motion, a plaintiff must demonstrate, using admissible evidence, that he has a probability of success on the merits of the suit. Id. § 425.16(b)(1). We review the district court’s ruling de novo, and affirm.