Judge Dismisses 8/9 Claims From Ben Stein's Lawsuit; Kyocera Dumped Him For Denialist Stance

[hatrack]

And I honestly think that this may be the first time that any E&E story has been posted sourced to the Hollywood Reporter!

EDIT

He was all set to appear in Kyocera's commercials when an employee at its New York ad agency called Stein's agent and expressed concern that Stein's global warming views might not be "conventional and politically correct for Kyocera."

Stein brought a lawsuit premised on multiple causes of action including breach of contract and infliction of emotional distress. In response, Kyocera brought an anti-SLAPP motion to strike the lawsuit because it interfered with its First Amendment rights on a matter of public concern.

Judge White says that Stein frames this case as arising out of "freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and political freedom," but finds that the case implicates the defendant's freedoms as much as it does Stein's. Namely, the company's freedom of expressive association.
The judge adds that the defendant "had a constitutional right not to be associated with Plaintiff, whose views on global warning as being the act of God, was different from that which Kyocera wished to espouse, i.e., that global warming was man-made."

Judge White dismisses Stein's claims of breach of contract, finding that the plaintiff hasn't presented evidence that his agent objectively accepted Kyocera's contract offer. According to the decision, the parties' lawyers were still discussing final terms when the offer to star in the commercial was pulled.

EDIT

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/ben-stein-Kyocera-Mita-bulk-lawsuit-321038

[TlalocW]

1. I thought Stein was supposed to be smart

Freedom of speech and religion? Those are pretty much rights that the government can't infringe on not businesses, unless the business is actively telling employees what they can do outside of work when it comes to speech and worship, Stein has no case, and if it were liberals making the same types of claims, he would be the first in line, pooh-poohing them.

TlalocW

[leftyohiolib]

2. he's like the saying that was attatched to newt. he says things a dumb person thinks a

smart person would say. all hype or all hat and no cattle