Allen v. Ortez

ZIMMERMAN, Justice.

Plaintiffs Jalene Ortez Allen and Lynn Allen appeal from an order of the Third Judicial District Court granting summary judgment in favor of defendants Lucinda Rasmussen, Karen Platis, and Primary Children’s Medical Center and dismissing plaintiffs’ libel action. The trial court held that all three of the allegedly libelous communications were entitled to qualified immunity under Utah’s child abuse reporting statutes. See Utah Code Ann. §§ 62A-4-501 to -514 (1988). 1 Additionally, the court held that two of these communications also were absolutely privileged under the…