JOSEPH R. BLYTHE v. TRISTA TIDWELL FORSYTHE - Articles

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JOSEPH R. BLYTHE v. TRISTA TIDWELL FORSYTHE

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 6, 2025

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Jason D. Holleman, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Joseph R. Blythe.

Attorneys 2: C. Eric Stevens and Sarah V. Belchic, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellee, Trista Tidwell Forsythe.

Judge(s): USMAN

Following an incident in an operating room allegedly involving aggressive actions by a doctor toward a scrub tech, the scrub tech made oral and written statements about the incident to her employer, the police, and a state administrative body. In response, the doctor filed suit for defamation and intentional interference with a business relationship. The scrub tech filed a Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA) petition to dismiss, which the trial court granted after it found that the statements were within the ambit of the TPPA and that the doctor could not establish a prima facie case for all of the essential elements of his claims. The doctor appeals. We affirm.

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