Man Suing 27 People Who Criticized Him on a Facebook Page

(NationalUSNews.com) — Facebook groups seem to have something for everyone. There are local groups, hobby groups, political groups, and everything else you could possibly think of. One specialized group called “Are we dating the same guy?” is at the center of a defamation lawsuit by 32-year-old Nikko D’Ambrosio. The private group’s focus is for women to share stories and even photos of men they have dated in order to warn other women about those men they have had negative experiences with. They call themselves “red flag awareness” and say their mission is to protect women from toxic men. There are apparently many groups like this one, which is Chicago-based, that focus on various locales.

D’Ambrosio’s legal team says the targeting of their client amounts to a “digital scarlet letter,” referencing the blazing red A that Hester Prynne wore in the novel The Scarlet Letter, announcing to the world that she was an adulteress, making her an outcast from her own community. The lawsuit includes accusations of invasion of privacy, doxxing, and defamation. His lawyers say he has suffered humiliation, emotional distress, and even lost earnings as a direct result of the Facebook group’s actions.

The women in the group have complaints about him being clingy or bragging about money. Some have shared screenshots of texts in which D’Ambrosio allegedly calls women names and is rudely dismissive. One user took down a post complaining about him after she was contacted by his lawyers and then resubmitted it using an alias. D’Ambrosio’s lawyers claim he did not make the offensive texts, but added that even if he did, they would still constitute free speech.

The lawsuit appears to be growing, as early reports say there are 27 women included in the case, while later reports suggest the number is closer to 50. The suit also demands that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, enforce moderation to prevent defamation of character. D’Ambrosio’s lawyers say that since they filed the complaint, they have been contacted by many men with similar stories of online targeting resulting in reputational damage.