Missouri Appeals Court Dismisses Defamation Suit Against University Radio Station

A Missouri appeals court dismissed a defamation lawsuit against a university-owned public radio station, holding that sovereign immunity protects the university as a state entity. " He further claimed the station repeated those statements in two of its own online articles and falsely reported financial mismanagement.

The court determined that the governmental-proprietary distinction used for municipalities does not apply to state entities such as the university. Because the university is established under the Missouri Constitution and state statutes, it retains full sovereign immunity unless waived.

The trial court found that the university's insurance policies contained an explicit sovereign-immunity exception, and the appeals court upheld that conclusion. com article.