Haley Maris TikTok sparks new reporting

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Lawsuits are a common intimidation tactic when powerful figures are accused of wrongdoing, especially in churches. Threatening legal action can silence survivors, whistleblowers, and journalists.

But Sarah Young, a citizen journalist and founder of Check My Church, is refusing to bow to the pressure of a lawsuit brought by Apologia Church in Mesa, Arizona. And Sarah joins Julie in this episode to discuss how defamation lawsuits are used to intimidate critics and how those efforts sometimes collapse in court.