Christian ministry's case is 'perfect' for the Supreme Court to revisit NYT v. Sullivan, lawyer says

The Christian ministry D. James Kennedy Ministries has decided to appeal its defamation case against the Southern Poverty Law Center to the Supreme Court. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have urged the Court to revisit defamation precedents from New York Times v. Sullivan, and this case may be the "perfect vehicle" for that.

Critics say the SPLC brands mainstream conservative and Christian organizations "hate groups," placing them on a list with truly hateful organizations like the Ku Klux Klan. The SPLC has branded DJKM an "anti-LGBT hate group" due to its Bible-based statements on homosexuality, and Amazon uses the SPLC "hate group" list to determine eligibility for its Amazon Smile charity program. In 2017, DJKM sued the SPLC and Amazon for defamation and discrimination. "The SPLC’s ‘hate group’ accusation is a financial and reputational death sentence, effectively equating organizations to the KKK." Courts have tossed DJKM's lawsuit, however, ruling that the ministry has not met the "actual malice" standard for defamation that the Supreme Court invented in New York Times v. Sullivan. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have called for the court to revisit that precedent and the "actual malice" standard, specifically.