A 12-person jury in Missouri sided with CoxHealth and its CEO on Feb. 16 in a lawsuit filed by the mother of a patient who alleged defamation, discrimination and breach of privacy, according to KY3 News.
Samantha Cherry filed the lawsuit against the Springfield, Mo.-based system and CEO Steve Edwards after a screenshot of her Facebook post was used by Mr. Edwards in his own Twitter post. Ms. Cherry's Facebook post was about CoxHealth instructing her to use the promotional code "COVID" to schedule a free telemedicine appointment for her son in 2020, according to the Springfield News-Leader.
Ms. Cherry claimed the use of her Facebook post by CoxHealth and its leader impacted her mental health and reputation as a real estate agent, according to KY3 News.
CoxHealth officials said they are pleased with the verdict.
"Our intent throughout the pandemic has been to tell the truth and correct any misinformation," a CoxHealth spokesperson told the News-Leader. "From the beginning, we have strongly believed that this case lacked merit. We placed our confidence and trust in the judicial system, and we are thankful to have this matter behind us."
Ms. Cherry said she plans to file an appeal in the case, according to the news station.