Park v. Bd. of Trs. of the Cal. State Univ.

*1060 To combat lawsuits designed to chill the exercise of free speech and petition rights (typically known as strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs), the Legislature has authorized a special motion to strike claims that are based on a defendant's engagement in such protected activity. (See Code Civ. Proc., § 425.16, subd. (a).) We consider a question that has generated uncertainty in the Courts of Appeal: What nexus must a defendant show between a challenged claim and the defendant's protected activity for the claim to be struck?

**907 As we explain, a claim is not subject to…