Opinion ID: 1472584
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claim Based on Mrs. Oparaugo's Letter

Text: Appellant argues that the allegations in the complaint were sufficient to state a cause of action for defamation based on Mrs. Oparaugo's letter that she wrote in April 1998 and sent to Nigerian authorities who were investigating appellant's allegations that her brother had shot him. Appellees argue that neither the complaint nor the amended complaint meets the heightened pleading standard for claims of defamation with respect to this letter. Appellees make no serious challenge to the sufficiency of the allegations with respect to the elements of falsity and at least negligent publication of the material. See Crowley, supra, 691 A.2d at 1173 n. 2 (setting forth the elements of defamation, which include, among others, the making of a false and defamatory statement and the defendant's fault in publication amounting to at least negligence). Their argument is that the time, speaker, precise location and listener are not disclosed. The heightened pleading standard requires that a plaintiff plead the time, place, content, speaker and listener of the allegedly defamatory matter. Black, supra, 87 F.Supp.2d at 6 (citing Wiggins v. Equifax, 848 F.Supp. 213, 223 (D.D.C.1993)). However, as discussed above, this court has not specifically adopted the heightened pleading standard for defamation claims. Crowley, supra, 691 A.2d at 1172. Rather, we consider whether the factual allegations are sufficient to permit appellees to respond to appellant's claim of defamation and whether, construing the complaint in the light most favorable to appellant, it appears beyond doubt that he can prove no set of facts that would entitle him to recover. See id. at 1172-73 (citations omitted) (applying this standard in assessing the sufficiency of a complaint in a defamation case). Appellant's amended complaint clearly alleges the nature of the false and defamatory statement, the date of Mrs. Oparaugo's letter containing the information that was addressed To Whom It May Concern, and the date on which appellant learned of the letter which was then in the records of a Nigerian court. Aside from this, appellant alleges only that the letter was published to various persons, both private and public, in Nigeria on various dates. While this latter allegation is insufficient to state the third party to whom the letter was published, allegations that the letter was published to the Nigerian authorities in a court case (setting aside for the moment any claim of privilege) may be sufficient, particularly under the circumstances presented, to withstand the motion to dismiss. Essentially, appellant has alleged that the letter was given to Nigerian authorities who were considering appellant's complaint against Mrs. Oparaugo's family in Nigeria and that an authority at the Nigerian High Court provided him with a copy of the letter in February 2000. These allegations are sufficient to apprise appellees of the persons to whom the letter was published, at least by category. In Crowley, we held that identification by employment of the persons to whom a defamatory statement was made was sufficient to permit the opposing party to form responsive pleadings and to withstand a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Crowley, supra, 691 A.2d at 1172. Appellant contends that the exact time of publication could not be known without discovery because this information has been concealed from him. From appellant's amended complaint, the time period within which it was published is apparent, i.e., between the date of Mrs. Oparaugo's letter (April 4, 1998) and the time that it was first shown to appellant by the Nigerian authorities (February 2000). These allegations are sufficient to permit appellees to respond, see Crowley, 691 A.2d at 1172, and to satisfy the requirements of notice pleading for alleging appellant's cause of action. See Messina, supra, 260 F.Supp.2d. at 177. Therefore, the trial court's order of dismissal cannot be sustained, at least as to the alleged publication to Nigerian authorities, on the grounds that appellant did not adequately plead his claim with respect to Mrs. Oparaugo's letter.