Man Wins Libel Suit Based on Net Message

R I C H M O N D, Va., Dec. 12, 2000 -- A former doctor at Emory University School

of Medicine has won what lawyers are calling the first and largest

libel verdict based on an anonymous Internet message.

A U.S. District judge on Thursday awarded $675,000 to Dr. Sam D.Graham Jr., who resigned as chairman of the urology department atEmory University School of Medicine in July 1998 after leading itfrom probationary status to a reputation as one of the top 20departments in the country.

‘Fbiinformant’ Message

In February 1999, Graham came across a posting on a Yahoo!message board for Grocer Inc. The message, posted by Dr. JonathanR. Oppenheimer and identified only as “fbiinformant,” suggestedthat Graham had taken kickbacks from Oklahoma-based Urocorafter giving his department’s pathology business to the urologycompany.

“This worked out well until the poor SOB got caught with hishand in the cookie jar,” the message concluded. “Poor guy had toresign his prestigious position.”

“I was shocked,” said Graham, who has gone into privatepractice in Richmond. “Everything I’ve done in my life washonorable. When I was accused of this, it was terrible.”

Graham said he responded on the message board that the decisionto hire Urocor was for sound medical and business reasons.

“I never personally received a dime for Urocor,” he wrote.“What you state in your message is a lie, and I demand that youproduce the source of your information.”

The judge noted that Oppenheimer had never met Graham and calledthe anonymous attack “about as despicable as any course of conductthat one could engage in.”

Oppenheimer will have to post a $750,000 bond if he wants toappeal the case to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.