ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A Flint, Michigan, resident is among those embroiled in a legal battle over a letter criticizing a Virginia Tech professor who helped expose the city’s water crisis.
The Roanoke Times reports the resident and two others filed an Aug. 10 motion to dismiss Marc Edwards’ $3 million defamation lawsuit against them.
William Moran is the attorney for Flint resident Melissa Mays, Edwards’ former co-researcher Yanna Lambrinidou and clean water activist Paul Schwartz. Moran says the letter signed by more than 60 Flint residents accuses Edwards of interfering with residents’ efforts to self-organize and abusing scientific authority, among other allegations.
The motion doesn’t take responsibility for orchestrating the letter, but asserts it was protected by free speech rights and Edwards is a public figure.
Edwards says he doesn’t like being characterized as a bully.
___
Information from: The Roanoke Times, http://www.roanoke.com
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
