Major Victory for Client in Longstanding Defamation Dispute
HOUSTON, TX – We are pleased to announce a hard fought, major victory for client Duc Dinh of the Duc Dinh Center, an after-school tutoring center, in a longstanding defamation dispute. After a legal battle spanning nearly four years, a Harris County judge found that the defendant posted false and defamatory statements on social media alleging that Duc Dinh had sexually assaulted her. At the conclusion of the bench trial, Judge Dedra Davis called the defendant’s story a “fairytale,” found that “on a scale of 1-10, she had a 0 in credibility,” and described it as “infuriating” to sexual assault victims who are “actually telling the truth.”
In 2020, the then 21-year-old woman posted comments on her X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts claiming Mr. Dinh had assaulted her. She tagged Mr. Dinh’s business in her posts. He subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging that her defamatory statements on social media were false, that the false accusations harmed his after-school tutoring center, and that his reputation had been severely damaged.
The trial team, composed of lead counsel Dean Blumrosen of the Law Offices of Dean M. Blumrosen, along with Andrew Bender of Andrews Myers, represented Duc Dinh Center and Mr. Dinh, who never wavered in his denial of any wrongdoing. He requested $0 in damages, successfully moved to dismiss the Duc Dinh Center from the counter lawsuit in 2021, and wished solely to restore his good name in Houston’s thriving Vietnamese community.
The Court’s ruling from the bench vindicated Mr. Dinh. Mr. Dinh and his counsel appreciate the careful consideration given by the Court in reaching this long-awaited, just result. “We are extremely pleased with the ruling in favor of Duc Dinh and thankful for the Court’s vindication of our client,” said Andrew Bender. Blumrosen praised the Judge’s eloquence when talking about the damage these types of cases do to real victims. “Judge Davis, as a female Judge during the MeToo movement, cares deeply about women’s issues and was very deliberate and thoughtful in her comments about this case,” Blumrosen stated.
The case is styled Dinh v. Nguyen, No. 2020-67616, in the 270th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas.
For more information please contact Andrew Bender.
About Andrews Myers
Founded in 1990, Andrews Myers is a Texas-based business law firm with more than 60 attorneys, and offices located in Houston and Austin. Firm attorneys counsel on transactions, disputes and all business related issues, with a keen focus on the primary practice areas of construction, trials, real estate, corporate, energy, employment, finance and bankruptcy-creditors’ rights. The firm plays an integral role on a wide range of projects, providing timely and cost-effective solutions to the most complex problems facing entrepreneurs and industry leaders throughout the state. For more information please visit www.andrewsmyers.com.
