Judge dismisses defamation case against Union Leader writer who penned op-ed on racism 

The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a defamation case against the Union Leader Corp. and a writer who penned an op-ed piece on the critical race theory.

Robert Azzi, the author of a June 2021 op-ed in The Union Leader titled, “White supremacists reveal content of their character,” named Daniel Richards, a Hanover resident, in his piece. 

Richards, a father of two, submitted public testimony in favor of a legislation, which became known as the divisive concepts law and would have prohibited discussion on race, gender, and social issues inside classrooms. That law was struck down by a federal judge in May. 

Richards sued the newspaper and Azzi in September 2021, claiming that the op-ed damaged his reputation in the community, and impacted his business interests. However, that case was dismissed by the Grafton Superior Court, after which Richards appealed that decision. 

Three justices made up the majority in the decision, with one—Justice Melissa B. Countway— dissenting in part. 

“In light of the foregoing, I would reverse and remand the case for further proceedings, including a determination of whether the plaintiff is a public figure, in which case he would be required to prove, not only that the stated or implied assertions of fact are false, but also that the statement was made with actual malice,” Countway said.