Committee hears testimony on bill to shield assault survivors from retaliatory defamation suits

On May 5 the House Committee on Judiciary opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 180A, which would amend Oregon's anti-SLAPP statute (ORS 31.150) to create a special motion to strike defamation claims arising from good-faith communications about incidents of sexual assault.

Supporters told the committee the bill is aimed at preventing wealthy or powerful defendants from using defamation lawsuits to silence survivors and deter reporting. Proponents described a burden-shifting process that lets a person accused in a defamation suit move to dismiss early if they can show an objectively reasonable belief the assault occurred, after which the plaintiff must demonstrate a probability of prevailing and prove malice where required.

Representative Kevin Mannix, who introduced the bill to the committee, said the measure '2protects assault victims to ensure their voices are not silenced.' Amber Kinney, an attorney who represents survivors of sexual…