In Henne v. City of Yakima, No. 89674-7, the Washington Supreme Court concluded that the city of Yakima could not bring a motion to strike a police officer’s lawsuit against the city under the state anti-SLAPP statute, RCW 4.24.510. The officer sued Yakima for negligent hiring, training and supervision of his coworkers who, he asserted, launched complaints against him and created a hostile work environment. The anti-SLAPP statute was designed to prevent frivolous lawsuits suits from deterring individuals and entities from exercising their constitutional speech rights. Because the city did not make any communications of its own about the officer but only received communications from others, it could not take advantage of the anti-SLAPP motion to strike the officer’s suit.
