Leonard R. Stein-Sapir v. William Birdsell (80-3805), Florence Birdsell, Administratrix of the Estate of William Birdsell (81-3340)

This appeal requires us to review the removal, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1442, of a libel and slander action from Ohio state court to the federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. We must also examine the District Court’s dismissal of the complaint on the merits.

In April, 1980, the Cleveland Press ran a series of articles about a dispute between' the National Park Service and homeowners in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. At that time, William Birdsell was Superintendent of the Recreation Area; his duties included acting as media spokesman for the project.…