DC Court Allows Libel Claim by Saloon Worker Who Refused Service to Officials to Proceed

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled that a former Beuchert's employee can continue her libel lawsuit over the restaurant’s public statements about her conduct.

In a decision issued by Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, former Beuchert's Saloon employee Suzannah Van Rooy was permitted to pursue her libel action against the restaurant. Van Rooy, who responded to a Washingtonian inquiry about serving Trump administration officials, later used the bar’s social-media accounts to answer hostile comments, prompting the employer to post seven statements branding her conduct as a breach of policy and authority.

The judge held that five of those statements are actionable factual allegations, while two were deemed non-actionable opinion. Van Rooy was also deemed a limited-purpose public figure, requiring proof of actual malice, which the complaint sufficiently alleges. The court dismissed her claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress, finding the posts were not extreme enough to meet the legal threshold. Additionally, the judge allowed her wage-and-paycheck claims under D.C. employment law to move forward.