Consent Incidents and Defamation Law
Presented by Full Circle Kink

It is increasingly common for consent violators to use defamation lawsuits to silence their accusers. This abuse of the legal system can be devastatingly effective: even a groundless lawsuit can cost upwards of $10,000 to defend against. Defamation lawsuits are a serious threat to anyone who does consent activism as well as anyone who simply wants to name their abuser.

This in-depth class will give you the information you need to understand the threat posed by defamation lawsuits and to minimize your exposure to them. We’ll begin by talking about how defamation law works, with a focus on the three central elements of a defamation case. We’ll also discuss what happens during a lawsuit and explore some related legal topics like false light, publication of private facts, and extortion.

Our focus is on providing actionable guidance to people doing defamation work, so much of the class will cover specific strategies and techniques for incorporating defamation awareness into your practice. We’ll talk about best practices for writing a defamation-resistant public statement and will explore strategies like pre-publication review, common interest privilege, and consent to publication. Finally, we’ll discuss the rare situations when filing a defamation lawsuit is an appropriate course of action and provide specific guidelines for doing so in an ethical fashion.

Notes:

• This is an online class via Zoom. Zoom link and instructions will be emailed the day before and 30 minutes before the workshop begins.
• Class time is listed in Pacific Time. Use this time zone converter to see what time the class will be for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
• Pay-What-You-Can tickets are open to anyone who needs them. Choose the ticket that is best for you.
• There are also a small number of discounted tickets available. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please inquire.
• Please let us know by email if you have any questions, access needs, or things that would aid in your learning: theconsentacademy@gmail.com

About the Presenters:

Full Circle Kink is a Seattle-based kink education group known for high-quality classes on a wide range of topics. Our classes span the spectrum from beginner topics to deep dives on highly technical subjects. Regardless of the topic, our expert instructors combine deep subject matter expertise with a relentless focus on teaching practical, real-world skills.

About the Consent Academy:

The Consent Academy is an educational collective based out of Seattle, WA with volunteers all over the world. Our mission is to teach consent in all of its complexity, aspects, and potential. With over 60 years of education experience collectively, our approach incorporates disciplines of psychology, sociology, public health, psychotherapy, and personal coaching to create a systemic view of how consent impacts everyone, from the bedroom to the boardroom. We believe consent is part of everyday life and its practice builds stronger, safer, and more connected communities. For more information, visit us at www.consent.academy.