Sprudge.com originally broke the story of the Gorilla Coffee employee walk-out on April 9, 2010. The story was then picked up by FIPS and reported on further by Oliver Strand in the New York Times. News breaking today is that Gorilla brass has filed a lawsuit against the New York Times and eight former employees for defamation. From FIPS:
Gorilla Coffee has filed suit against the NYT, a NYT reporter and 8 former employees for participating “in the preparation and publication of (a) false, defamatory, malicious and libelous article” that included a juicy staff email that claimed the workers were subjected to a “perpetually malicious, hostile, and demeaning work environment that was not only unhealthy, but also…unworkable.”
The complaint goes on to say “that as a result of the false and injurious e-mail which was printed, published and circulated by NYT, the content of which was furnished by the individual defendants, with express and implied malice and with design and intent to injure Gorilla in its good name and reputation, Gorilla seeks punitive damages against all defendants, jointly and severally, for their egregious, wanton, reckless and negligent conduct, in a sum to be determined upon the trial of this action.”
New York Times remains silent. Developing…
