A Virginia district court judge on Tuesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit the Global Business Travel Association filed in May against an unidentified defendant for anonymously spreading via email what the association called "unsubstantiated allegations."
According to U.S. civil lawsuit procedures, defendants must be served with a summons within 120 days of the suit's filing, or the case faces dismissal. Unable to identify its "Jane Doe" defendant, GBTA failed to meet the requirement.
District Judge James Cacheris on Oct. 1 notified GBTA that it had 20 days to plead "why the action should not be dismissed," as per the 120-day rule. Cacheris on Tuesday indicated that the court did not receive a response from GBTA, prompting the dismissal.
GBTA planned to "work diligently to identify the true name of the appropriate defendant and, once known, seek a summons to serve that defendant with process," according to a memorandum accompanying GBTA's initial complaint, filed May 8.
The association had sought at least $500,000 in damages and an injunction to prevent the defendant from "disparaging GBTA's name and/or reputation."
The anonymous email criticized GBTA leadership, accused the organization of "financial impropriety," alleged "self dealing and other improper contracts" and "asserted that various GBTA employees committed conduct that, if true, would constitute commercial fraud," according to GBTA's complaint.