Cooper v. Grace Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio, Inc.

Martin, Judge.

Plaintiff-appellant, Kristol Cooper, timely appeals from the September 20, 1991 judgment of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court which entered directed verdicts in favor of both defendants-appellees, the Grace Baptist Church of Columbus, Ohio, Inc. and Reverend Ernest Calloway.

Plaintiff commenced this defamation action on May 1, 1989, alleging slander per se on the part of defendants church and Calloway, individually and in his capacity as pastor. The complaint further alleged that the remarks attributed to Calloway were made with actual malice and occurred within the scope of…