Appeals Court Sides with Football Coach in Defamation Case

An Illinois appeals court has reversed a trial court, giving new life to a former high school football coach, who had alleged that the parent of one of his players defamed him in a successful campaign to have him fired.   In a majority decision, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District determined that a decision about whether the defendant acted with “actual malice,” a critical determination when the statements are directed to a governmental body, should be left up to a jury in