Represented by Fort Frances lawyers Doug Judson and Peter Howie, a group of eight plaintiffs from the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange were awarded $1.75 million in damages by the Ontario Superior court of Justice after being targeted by an anti-LGBTQ Libel campaign on social media and a privately run website. The campaign was orchestrated by Peter Scott Blackwell, who subsequently championed it on social media and elsewhere, relying on the damaging stereotype that members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are covertly grooming minors.
“Through these various posts, the defendant unmistakably conveyed that CATIE was an organization that promoted pedophilia and employed or advanced individuals engaged in such criminal conduct,” reads a statement from Justice McVey in the related court transcript.
“I am fully satisfied that the impugned posts and individual profiles on the Cowards Website were demeaning and defamatory. This issue is self-evident and requires minimal further discussion.”
McVey also referenced another case Judson had worked on, Rainbow Alliance Dryden et al v. Webster. While that case had strongly implied pedophilia or sexual exploitation of children, Blackwell explicitly stated this across multiple posts and platforms. It was this reason that the damages were much higher in the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange et al v. Blackwell case.
“The term ‘GROOMER’ appeared above everyone’s photograph, accompanied by the following definition of the term: ‘the grooming process can involve gradually desensitizing the child to sexual content, introducing sexually explicit conversations or materials, or convincing the child to participate in sexual activities. Groomers may also use threats, intimidation, or blackmail to maintain control over the child and prevent them from disclosing the abuse.’ It is beyond question that the defendant, [Blackwell,] was thereby imputing pedophilic conduct to the person depicted,” reads a statement from Justice McVey in the court transcript.
“I am satisfied that, with respect to the plaintiffs whose only exposure was through the creation of an individual profile on the Cowards Website, the content was plainly defamatory.”
Of the total damages, $1.25 million was awarded to the plaintiffs, CATIE et al, for general damages. Aggravated damages were warranted in the amounts of $100,000 payable to CATIE, $100,000 to Mr. Brett, who was most burdened by the smear campaign, and $50,000 to each of the remaining six individual plaintiffs. Other costs included indemnity and interest.
One plaintiff passed away during the court proceeding. A case summary from JudsonHowie LLC’s website suggests this leaves open a further judgment to be awarded should the deceased’s estate trustee choose to continue.
