Ammar I. v. Dept. of Children & Families

Summary

The court held that the litigation privilege barred the plaintiff's timely religious-discrimination allegations based exclusively on the Department's conduct during the termination-of-parental-rights trial and related appeal. The privilege applied because the allegations challenged litigation conduct resembling defamation rather than the improper purpose for commencing the underlying proceeding, and other remedies were available. The court nevertheless partially reversed the appellate judgment because the lower courts dismissed the entire complaint before the plaintiff could obtain review of the separate timeliness ruling.