Dojo sues former employee for defamation

GALVESTON - Alleging a former employee with their martial arts studios made false statements about them to undermine their business, Galveston County residents Zuhair Hillail and Sara Stolle have filed a lawsuit.

Recent court documents filed Aug. 16 in Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 accuse Davis Graham of defamation, stating the ex-manager disparaged the plaintiffs and their company, Tigers Den Dojo, after vacating the position last October.

Hillail claims Graham "has constantly contacted Tigers Den clients by phone and email and told them disparaging information about (him) and Tigers Den" as well as "vowed that he was going to destroy (him)."

Stolle asserts Graham "told more than one person that (she) has had at least three abortions and threw the aborted fetuses into a garbage dumpster," insisting Graham did so "to cause her, Hillail and Tigers Den entities economic and personal harm."

Even if what Graham supposedly said were true, "it is private information that Graham is maliciously publicizing in an invasion of Stolle's privacy," the suit says.

Hillail adds the defendant misinformed his clients that he was the subject of an FBI investigation into alleged child molestation during a Tigers Den camping trip.

According to the original petition, some clients canceled their memberships because of the rumors.

Consequently, the complainants seek unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

They are represented by attorney Edwin Q. Rainey Jr. of League City.

Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Barbara Roberts is presiding over the case.

Cause No. 68,099