Opinion ID: 1140705
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Putting one in a false position in public eye

Text: The plaintiffs next argue that J.Si. and D.Sk. invaded the students' right to privacy by placing them in a false light. This Court has stated the following regarding a false-light claim of invasion of privacy: `One who gives publicity to a matter concerning another that places the other before the public in a false light is subject to liability to the other for invasion of his privacy, if `(a) the false light in which the other was placed would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, and `(b) the actor had knowledge of or acted in reckless disregard as to the falsity of the publicized matter and the false light in which the other would be placed.' Butler, 871 So.2d at 12 (quoting Schifano, 624 So.2d at 180, quoting in turn Restatement (Second) of Torts § 652E (1977)). The false-light version of an invasion-of-privacy claim requires that a defendant give publicity to a matter that places one in a false light. As discussed earlier, the plaintiffs have failed to present any evidence indicating that J.Si. and D.Sk. gave publicity to the matter of the photographs, much less any evidence indicating that J.Si. and D.Sk. acted with any reckless disregard as to any false light in which the students may have potentially been placed. Accordingly, the plaintiffs' have failed to establish a prima facie case of invasion of privacy by placing the students in a false light, and the summary judgment as to this issue is affirmed.