State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. El-Moslimany

178 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51084, 2016 WL 1531966
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedApril 15, 2016
DocketCASE NO. C15-0124-MAT
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 178 F. Supp. 3d 1048 (State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. El-Moslimany) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. v. El-Moslimany, 178 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51084, 2016 WL 1531966 (W.D. Wash. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Mary Alice Theiler, United States Magistrate Judge

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff State Farm Fire and Casualty Company (“State Farm”) filed a motion pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 and 28 U.S.C. § 2201. (Dkt. 27.) State Farm seeks a declaratory judgment that it has no duty to defend Samia El-Moslimany and her mother Ann P. El-Moslimany (“defendants El-Moslimany” or “defendants”) in the matter of Sindi v. El-Moslimany, No. 13-10798-IT (D.Mass.). Defendants El-Moslimany oppose thq motion. (Dkt. 29.) Now, having considered the motion and opposition, as well as the complaint in the underlying matter of Sindi v. El-Moslimany, the Court concludes the motion for summary judgment (Dkt. 27) should be GRANTED, and a declaratory judgment entered that State Farm owes no duty to defend.

BACKGROUND

In January 2013, Hayat Sindi filed suit against defendants El-Moslimany in Massachusetts state court. Defendants El-Mos-limany, in April 2013, removed the action to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. See Sindi v. El-Moslimany, No. 13-10798-IT. Pursuant to a homeowners policy effective January 2011 and renewed annually, State Farm is defending defendants El-Moslimany in Sindi v. El-Moslimany under a reservation of rights.

In April 2015, State Farm filed the current action, against Sindi and defendants El-Moslimany, seeking a declaratory judgment that it owes no duty to defend Sami or Ann El-Moslimany from any of . the claims pleaded in the underlying action. (See Dkts. 1 & 9.) State Farm repeatedly [1052]*1052tried and failed to serve Sindi, and ultimately required two extensions to allow for service. (Dkts. 17, 22.) After she failed to appear or respond, State Farm, in February 2016, secured an Order of Default against Sindi. (Dkt. 28.) State Farm filed its summary judgment motion shortly after moving for the default.

A. Allegations in Sindi v. El-Moslimany

Sindi avers defendants El-Moslimany, beginning in or around September 2011 and continuing through the current day, have engaged in a “knowing, intentional, and malicious campaign of defamation”, and “a relentless course of conduct designed and intended to publicly embarrass, humiliate, and destroy [Sindi] through the perpetuation of intentional falsehoods.” (Dkt. 9-1 at 1.) Sindi contends defendants engaged in this conduct based on their misapprehension of a personal, romantic relationship between Sindi and Samia El-Moslimany’s husband, Fouad Dehlawi. (Id. at 1-7.) Sindi describes-herself as an accomplished scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and alleges defendants “have sought to tarnish [her] reputation and publically humiliate her by, among other things, falsely accusing [her] of engaging in fraud, misrepresenting her professional credentials, engaging in illegal misconduct, plagiarizing her scientific research and publications, and other libels which are demonstrably false and defamatory per se.” (Id. at 1-3.)

Sindi alleges defendants repeatedly made knowingly false statements published to third parties in writing, orally, and through electronic means, in response to on-line articles written about her, in Face-book postings and emails, and in a blog maintained by Samia El-Moslimany, found at http://truehayatsindi.blogspot.com. (Id. at 14.) She alleges defendants appeared in person and slandered her in her neighborhood, as well as at public conferences, where they distributed leaflets and spread out banners containing false and defamatory statements and directing onlookers to Sarnia’s blog. (Id. at 7-19.) Sindi avers these actions damaged her reputation and career, interfered with investments, relationships, and fundraising efforts in her business and other ventures, prompted a publishing company to back out of a contract to publish her biography, caused her to fear for her physical safety, and otherwise adversely affected her physical and mental health. (Id. at 17-23.)

Sindi includes a eoirnt of defamation, libel, and slander, describing a “campaign of libel and slander,” styled by defendants as “operation arabian [sic] EXPOSURE”. (Id. at 23.) She avers the false statements “were made negligently, intentionally, and/or with reckless disregard for the truth or falsity of such statements,” and that Samia El-Moslimany “acted negligently and/or with actual malice; ... with reckless and wonton [sic] disregard of the truth; and ... with the intent to ruin” Sindi’s reputation. (Id. at 24.)

Sindi raises counts of tortious interference with contractual relationships and tortious interference with prospective business relationships. (Id. at 25-26.) She alleges defendants knew of her publishing contract and other business relationships and intentionally published libelous statements they “knew or should have known” would induce the publishing company, among other parties, to refuse to perform its contractual obligation. (Id. at 25.) She alleges defendants knew of her contacts in academic, scientific, and business communities, as well as that “their intentionally published libelous statements would discourage these individuals from associating with, donating to, investing in, or otherwise engaging” in her endeavors. (Id. at 26.) Sindi avers defendants “were motivated by malice, with the intent, as they expressed it, to make [her] ’rue the day [1053]*1053she ever met” Samia El-Moslimany, and “expressed their intent to ruin her reputation as a business woman, entrepreneur, and scientist.” (Id. at 25-26.)

Sindi also claims intentional infliction of emotional distress through the publishing of malicious statements in multiple forums, by directly harassing her and by appearing at her home and at events at which she was scheduled to appear, and that defendants knew or should have known emotional distress would result from their extreme and outrageous conduct. (Id. at 26-27.) Sin-di maintains she suffered harm in the form of “constant anxiety of her safety, even in her own neighborhood, in which [defendants] El-Moslimany have actively incited fellow Muslims to violence against her, with some posting comments that she should be ’stoned.’” (Id. at 27.)

Sindi seeks a permanent injunction, in addition to money damages. (Id. at 27-28.) She contends defendants El-Moslimany “have vowed to set forth their defamatory campaign at all cost and without end”, and seeks an injunction to “halt the malicious campaign of libel, slander, and defamation[.]” (Id. at 28.)

B. Homeowners Insurance Policy

The State Farm homeowners policy issued to defendants El-Moslimany includes a personal liability provision that provides in part:

If a claim is made or a suit is brought against an insured for damages because of bodily injury or property damage to which this coverage applies, caused by an occurrence, we will:
1. pay up to our limit of liability for the damages for which the insured is legally liable; and
2. provide a defense at our expense by counsel of our choice.

(See Dkt. 9, Till and Dkt.

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178 F. Supp. 3d 1048, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51084, 2016 WL 1531966, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-farm-fire-casualty-co-v-el-moslimany-wawd-2016.