The Athletic has been dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer after reporter Molly Knight tweeted incorrect statements in regards to Bauer’s legal troubles after being accused of violent sexual encounters with a California woman.
In 2021, Knight tweeted that it was “not possible to consent to a fractured skull” after reports surfaced of what Bauer had done to his alleged victim during a sexual episode. The accuser did not suffer a fractured skull, court documents show.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Fitzgerald dismissed The Athletic as a defendant in the case, but did say Bauer can amend his lawsuit to continue to include Knight. The judge claimed Knight’s tweets “favors that a reasonable reader could conclude that the tweets implied an asserted fact.”
In a statement, The New York Times — which now owns the online publication after purchasing it in January of this year — said they agreed with the decision.
“We welcome the court’s dismissal of claims against The Athletic,” The Times told Front Office Sports. “We continue to believe that Knight’s tweets were non actionable.”
