A high-profile Virginia teacher and a parent decided to fight back against social media attacks, name-calling and false allegations, each filing defamation lawsuits against the creator of a conservative X feed.
Both just won judgments of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Robert Rigby is a well-known, outspoken figure in the community. The former president of FPCS Pride has publicly advocated for years on behalf of LGBTQ youth. He was used to social media attacks.
“I’ve been attacked for 20 years,” he said.
But in 2025, posts about him on the X feed known as The Virginia Project made deeply troubling allegations.
David Gordon created The Virginia Project PAC to raise money for GOP candidates, and he posted on the X feed. The Online State Board Election’s campaign finance website shows the PAC is no longer operational, but David Gordon continues to make posts on The Virginia Project X feed.
The 2025 posts cited in the defamation suit make allegations about grooming gangs and child abduction paired with a photo of Rigby from a Daily Wire story.
Similar social media posts also reference and picture Vanessa Hall as Fairfax County parent and community activist.
Rigby and Hall turned to Fairfax attorney Jason Zellman.
“When I first heard all this, I was like, ‘These are, you guys are being accused of heinous crimes. Like, this isn’t just someone’s being mean to you or saying something not nice,’” he said.
Zellman filed two defamation lawsuits against The Virginia Project PAC and David Gordon.
Rigby’s case was heard last week by a Fairfax County jury. Hall’s case went this week.
“This was a slam dunk,” Rigby said. “It was clear defamation. The only defense was that it was true, and it’s clearly, manifestly not true.”
The juries ruled in favor of Rigby and Hall.
“What this was about was what the statements were made and that there was zero evidence to support any of them,” Zellman said.
Rigby was awarded $350,000; Hall, $700,000.
“Relief. I was relieved,” Rigby said. “I was relieved that, my hope was that this would end.”
He also hopes the verdicts send a strong message to social media posters.
“I think it’ll have broader impact on educators to feel like someone is standing up for us, someone is saying to all the horrible things said against teachers,” Rigby said.
“I am hopeful that this, you know, in a broader context, will show that there are consequences, that social media is not a safe haven,” Zellman said. “You’re not allowed to limitless posts that just are simply untrue and completely unsupported.”
The attorney for David Gordon and The Virginia Project PAC sent News4 a statement Thursday evening saying, “My clients were disappointed by the verdicts and plan to appeal. The Rigby verdicts were improper as a matter of law.”
“The verdicts will be tossed, and a new trial ordered,” the statement said. “There are many reasons why the Hall verdict will be overturned on appeal.”
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