Butler University Drops Suit Against Student Blogger

Inside Higher Ed has chronicled the intriguing case surrounding Butler University student Jess Zimmerman, originator of a blog that was sued by the university two weeks ago for allegedly making libelous and defamatory statements about school officials. The suit, which had been denounced by faculty members and students on the Indianapolis campus, was dropped today, according to an item in Inside Higher Ed's Quick Takes feature and the Butler Collegian's website.

Zimmerman started the TrueBU Blog in 2008 but wrote it anonymously. According to Inside Higher Ed, Butler did not name Zimmerman directly in its suit, suing instead the anonymous writer. Butler University President Bobby Fong said repeatedly that since Zimmerman wasn't named in the suit, the school wasn't suing him. That caused the uproar on campus.

With the suit withdrawn, the aftermath of the incident and how the parties move on will be in focus, especially after the incident garnered so much national attention from media outlets such as the Indianapolis Star and the Huffington Post.

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