An LSU historian is being sued for defamation by a Pennsylvania state legislator and seeks to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that the lawmaker is trying to curtail his First Amendment rights.
James Gregory, director of LSU’s William A. Brookshire Military Museum and an adjunct instructor of military history, is being sued by Republican Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano for defamation after Gregory criticized Mastriano’s academic research and raised concerns about its integrity.
Mastriano sued Gregory and nearly two dozen other defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in May, but the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, filed a motion Thursday to dismiss the lawsuit. The free speech organization, known for its defense of conservative speech on college campuses, is representing Gregory.
“The First Amendment means all Americans have the right to criticize public officials, no matter how angry that criticism makes them,” Greg Greubel, a FIRE attorney, said in a news release. “Politicians should be concerned about legislating for the people, not suing critics when their feelings get hurt.”
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The lawsuit alleges Mastriano is “the victim of a multi-year racketeering and antitrust enterprise” that seeks to steal, use and “debunk his work” that is worth at least $10 million in “tourism-related events, validated museum artifacts, book, media, television and movie deals.”
Mastriano is a far-right Republican and retired military officer who was the GOP’s nominee for Pennsylvania governor in 2022. He lost to Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro. Though Gregory first raised concerns before his bid for governor, Mastriano said it was during the campaign that Gregory’s allegations began to gain traction in the news, including some national outlets.
In the lawsuit, Mastriano alleges a conspiracy to try to “steal” his Ph. D. in U.S. military history and other professional opportunities.
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“The reality is this: One, I lived in Oklahoma and now I live [in Louisiana], I have no stake in Pennsylvania politics,” Gregory said in an interview. “Two, I’m a registered Independent and I vote Republican. Three, my first report predates his political aspirations.”
The dispute is over the two men’s research into U.S. Army Sgt. Alvin York, a Medal of Honor recipient who was among the most decorated soldiers of World War I. Gregory said he once referenced Mastriano’s work, as he was an established scholar on York, but began noticing problems with his research.
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To date, Gregory has flagged 213 examples of what he believes are “academic fraud.” The instances range from quotes in Mastriano’s paper with no citation to complete fabrications, Gregory said.
For example, Gregory said he found a photo in Mastriano’s book that included a caption that had been cut from another photo from the same time period, giving the impression the photo depicted something different than what it actually did.
“From day one, it’s been nothing but academic for me,” Gregory said. “Academically speaking, this is not good. This person should not be publishing and should not be teaching if they’re capable of such blatant cases of academic fraud.”
Gregory believes Mastriano’s lawsuit is intended to cause fear and chill academic speech.
“It was like Mastriano saying, ‘Shut up or shell out,’” Gregory said. “This is not how academic discourse is done.”
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In its motion to dismiss the case against Gregory, FIRE argues that criticizing the work of a fellow historian is not defamation and that the First Amendment protects his right to do so.
FIRE said Oklahoma law allows quick dismissals of questionable litigation that targets free speech, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP), and holds the plaintiff responsible for paying the defendant’s legal fees.
“James’ plight is a perfect example of why robust anti-SLAPP protections are vital to expressive freedom,” Greubel said in a statement to the Oklahoma Voice. “Otherwise, the First Amendment is nothing more than a luxury for those who can afford to fight off an expensive lawsuit.”
Mastriano and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment from the Oklahoma Voice.
Emma Murphy, reporter with the Oklahoma Voice, contributed to this report.
A Pentecostal pastor in Louisiana charged with sexually molesting a teenage girl in his church has been convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile – but was acquitted of the more serious crime of statutory rape.
Milton Otto Martin III, 58, faces up to seven years in prison and must register as a sex offender after a three-day trial in Chalmette, Louisiana, resulted in a guilty verdict against him on Thursday. His sentencing hearing is tentatively set for 15 January in the latest high-profile instance of religious abuse in the New Orleans area.
Authorities who investigated Martin, the pastor of Chalmette’s First Pentecostal Church, spoke with several alleged molestation victims of his. But the jury in his case heard from just two of them, and the charges on which he was tried pertained to only one.
That victim’s attorneys – John Denenea, Richard Trahant and Soren Gisleson – lauded their client for testifying against Martin even as members of the institution’s congregation showed up in large numbers to support him throughout the trial.
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“That was the most courageous thing I’ve ever seen a young woman do,” the lawyers remarked in a statement, with Denenea saying it was the first time in his career he and a client of his needed deputies to escort them out the courthouse. “She not only made sure he was accountable for his crimes – she has also protected many other young women from this convicted predator.”
Neither Martin’s attorney, Jeff Hufft, nor his church immediately responded to requests for comment.
The documents containing Martin’s criminal charges alleged that he committed felony carnal knowledge, Louisiana’s formal name for statutory rape, by engaging in oral sex with Denenea’s client when she was 16 in about 2011. The indecent behavior was inflicted on her when she was between the ages of 15 and 17, the charging documents maintained.
A civil lawsuit filed against Martin in parallel detailed how he would allegedly bring the victim – one of his congregants – out on four-wheeler rides and sexually abuse her during breaks that they took during the excursions.
The accuser, now about 30, reported Martin to Louisiana state police before he was arrested in March 2023. Other accusers subsequently came forward with similar allegations dating back further. Martin made bail, pleaded not guilty and underwent trial beginning on Tuesday in front of state court judge Darren Roy.
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Denenea said he believed his client’s testimony on Wednesday was pivotal in Martin’s conviction, which was obtained by prosecutors Barry Milligan and Erica Moore of the Louisiana attorney general’s office, according to the agency.
As Denenea put it, it seemed to him Martin’s acquittal stemmed from uncertainty over whether the accuser initially reported being 16 at the time of the alleged carnal knowledge.
State attorney general Liz Murrill said in a statement that it was “great work” my Milligan and Moore “getting justice for this victim”.
“We will never stop fighting to protect the children of Louisiana,” Murrill said.
Martin was remanded without bail to the custody of the local sheriff’s office to await sentencing after the verdict.
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The lawsuit that Denenea’s client filed against Martin was stayed while the criminal case was unresolved. It can now proceed, with the plaintiff accusing the First Pentecostal church of doing nothing to investigate earlier sexual abuse claims against Martin.
The plaintiff also accused the Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowships to which the Chalmette church belonged of failing to properly supervise Martin around children, and her lawsuit demands damages from both institutions.
Martin’s prosecution is unrelated to the clergy molestation scandal that drove the Roman Catholic archdiocese of nearby New Orleans into federal bankruptcy court in 2020 – but the two cases do share a few links.
State police detective Scott Rodrigue investigated Martin after also pursuing the retired New Orleans Catholic priest Lawrence Hecker, a serial child molester who had been shielded by his church superiors for decades. Rodrigue’s investigation led to Hecker’s arrest, conviction and life sentence for child rape – shortly before his death in December 2024.
Furthermore, Denenea, Trahant and Gisleson were also the civil attorneys for the victim in Hecker’s criminal case.
Newlab New Orleans is deepening its energy-tech ambitions with a new partnership alongside JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, to accelerate next-generation carbon capture solutions for heavy industries across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, The Center Square writes.
The collaboration brings JERA Ventures into Newlab’s public-private innovation hub, where startups gain access to lab space and high-end machinery to commercialize technologies aimed at cutting emissions and improving industrial efficiency.
The move builds momentum as Newlab prepares to open its fifth global hub next fall at the former Naval Support Activity site, adding New Orleans to a network that includes Riyadh and Detroit. JERA’s footprint in Louisiana is already growing—from a joint venture on CF Industries’ planned $4 billion low-carbon ammonia plant to investments in solar generation and Haynesville shale assets—positioning the company as a significant player in the state’s clean-energy transition.
Federal immigration authorities are keeping a tight lid on key details as “Catahoula Crunch” closes its first week in southeast Louisiana, Verite writes.
The operation—one of Department of Homeland Security’s largest recent urban crackdowns—began with raids at home-improvement stores and aims for 5,000 arrests, according to plans previously reviewed by the Associated Press. While DHS publicly highlighted arrests of immigrants with violent criminal records, AP data shows fewer than one-third of the 38 detainees in the first two days had prior convictions.
Meanwhile, advocacy groups report widespread fear in Hispanic communities, with residents avoiding hospitals, schools, workplaces and even grocery stores amid sightings of federal agents.
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Business impacts are already visible: restaurants and Hispanic-serving corridors like Broad Street appear unusually quiet, with staff shortages forcing menu cuts and temporary closures. School absenteeism has doubled in Jefferson Parish, and protests have spread across New Orleans and surrounding suburbs as local leaders demand transparency around federal tactics.
