前麻省理工科学家萨巴蒂尼赢得600万美元名誉侵权案 陪审团认定同事诽谤
前麻省理工学院（MIT）生物学教授戴维·萨巴蒂尼（David Sabatini）本周赢得一场重大法律胜利。波士顿的一个陪审团10月16日裁定，他的前同事克里斯汀·诺斯（Kristin Knouse）对他构成诽谤，萨巴蒂尼获赔600万美元。
萨巴蒂尼曾在马萨诸塞州剑桥市的怀特黑德生物医学研究所（Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research）领导研究实验室约24年，研究方向为细胞生物学及其与神经退行性疾病、糖尿病、衰老和癌症的关联。2021年，诺斯提出性行为不端指控，研究所内部调查后，萨巴蒂尼失去职位并辞职。
根据法庭文件，两人于2012年相识，2018年开始交往，次年分手。诺斯后来指控这段关系存在胁迫成分。萨巴蒂尼离职后起诉诺斯，指控其诽谤以及侵权干涉合同与预期利益关系。诺斯则提出反诉，指控萨巴蒂尼性骚扰。
这起案件自2021年起备受美国学术界关注，600万美元的赔偿金额在学术界名誉侵权诉讼中极为罕见。
本案庭审中，陪审团同时否定了诺斯提出的性骚扰反诉。诺斯的律师已表示，将就诽谤裁决提起上诉。
Former MIT Scientist Sabatini Wins $6 Million Defamation Verdict; Jury Finds Colleague Defamed Him
Former MIT biology professor David Sabatini won a major legal victory this week. A Boston jury ruled on Oct. 16 that his former colleague Kristin Knouse had defamed him, awarding Sabatini $6 million.
Sabatini led a research laboratory for about 24 years at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working on cell biology and its links to neurodegenerative disease, diabetes, aging and cancer. In 2021, after Knouse raised allegations of sexual misconduct and the institute conducted an internal investigation, Sabatini lost his position and resigned.
According to court filings, the two met in 2012, began a relationship in 2018 and split the following year. Knouse later alleged the relationship had a coercive element. After leaving, Sabatini sued Knouse for defamation and tortious interference with contracts and prospective business relations; Knouse countersued, alleging sexual harassment.
At trial, the jury rejected Knouse's sexual-harassment countersuit. Knouse's attorney has said they will appeal the defamation verdict.
The case has drawn wide attention in U.S. academia since 2021, and a $6 million award is exceptionally rare in academic defamation litigation.
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：麻省理工学院大穹顶（资料图）。照片：Mys 721tx／Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 3.0）。MIT's Great Dome (file photo). Photo: Mys 721tx / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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