Judge removes University of New Brunswick from U.S. state senator’s defamation suit
An Oklahoma judge has removed UNB as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit filed by a Pennsylvania state senator with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump.
An Oklahoma judge has dismissed the University of New Brunswick from a defamation lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano. Mastriano accused UNB and several academics of defamation, racketeering, and antitrust violations in 2024 over criticism of his research on First World War hero Sgt. Alvin York. The university had previously granted Mastriano a doctorate for his work in 2013.
Mastriano gained national attention in 2022 when Trump endorsed him for governor during the senator's failed gubernatorial campaign in Pennsylvania. The lawsuit sought millions in damages, alleging that the criticism damaged his income from tourism-related events and other ventures. However, the university successfully argued that it was immune from U.S. jurisdiction due to being an "organ of a foreign state."
After reviewing the case, the judge agreed and dismissed all claims against the university. Neither Mastriano nor UNB commented on the decision.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
