Case Name: Johnson v. MacCudden
Type of Case: Individual Liberties
Court: Wisconsin Court of Appeals District 1
Filed On: May 7th, 2024
Current Status: Scarlett won her appeal and the court agreed with WILL that her comments were not defamation.
Moms For Liberty Activist Scarlett Johnson Wins Her Appeal
October 28, 2025 | The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled in favor of WILL’s client, Scarlett Johnson, a Wisconsin Moms for Liberty activist sued for defamation for criticizing her school district. The Court agreed with WILL’s argument that Scarlett’s posts were statements of opinion that are not provably false and therefore cannot be defamatory.
WILL DEFENDS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF WISCONSIN MOM AND CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST
May 23, 2024 | WILL has filed an appeal on behalf of Scarlett Johnson, a Wisconsin Moms for Liberty Activist, who is being sued for defamation for criticizing her school district on social media for employing a “social justice coordinator.” WILL filed this appeal because Ms. Johnson’s posts are protected by the First Amendment. She should not have to endure a costly, pointless, and incoherent jury trial.
WISCONSIN COURT OF APPEALS GRANTS WILL REQUEST TO HEAR FREE SPEECH CASE & POSTPONES SCHEDULED JURY TRIAL
May 30, 2024 | The Wisconsin Court of Appeals has granted WILL’s motion for permissive appeal, putting on hold a costly, pointless, and incoherent jury trial. WILL’s client, Scarlett Johnson, is a Wisconsin Moms for Liberty activist who is being sued for defamation for criticizing her school district on social media for employing a “social justice coordinator.”
Scarlett Johnson is a Wisconsin Moms for Liberty activist being sued for defamation for criticizing her school district on social media for employing a “social justice coordinator.”
The lawsuit against her involves a defamation claim for run-of-the-mill social media posts on X and Facebook. The posts in question criticized a school district for having a “social justice coordinator,” and described people who hold such positions as “woke,” “white savior[s]” with a “god complex,” “woke lunatics,” and “bullies.” Statements like these are pervasive on social media; indeed, they were more restrained than a lot of online speech.
CASE DOCUMENTS
- Motion for Permissive Appeal, 5.7.2024
- Order Granting Appeal, 5.31.2024
- Appeals Court Order, 10.28.2025
