Rancher Sues S-R Over Story Headline Subject Of Article On Logging Flap Says Reputation Was Harmed

A rancher is suing The Spokesman-Review and one of its reporters for a headline that said the man had a criminal record.

In a lawsuit, A. Lamont Nibarger states he has no criminal history.

The suit, against the newspaper and reporter J. Todd Foster does not specify damages. It seeks reimbursement for harm done to Nibarger’s reputation and business.

In a story published on April 7, Foster reported that a logger cutting trees on Nibarger’s Spokane County ranch was accused of straying onto a neighbor’s property, cutting seven 150-year-old pines.

The story reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Nibarger and several business partners of fraud in the 1970s.

The story noted that Nibarger was cited by the state for logging without a permit and for illegally trucking logs across public property in 1993. It also reported that Nibarger, a Washington resident, registered some of his vehicles in Idaho.

Registering vehicles in another state is a gross misdemeanor in Washington, the state Department of Revenue says.

The story also outlined the background of Lewis R. Kulczyk, the logger Nibarger hired, whose past convictions include mail fraud and witness tampering.

A small, secondary headline next to the story said, “Landowner files civil suit against two with long criminal histories.”

The newspaper later ran a clarification noting that Nibarger was never convicted of a crime, according to family members.

Nibarger contends the story caused him “not to receive a bank loan significant for his business, caused close friends to refuse to speak to him” and hurt his reputation.

, DataTimes