SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3/Gray News) – A Missouri couple has filed a defamation lawsuit against a hotel and an employee after they say a social media post has damaged their reputations.
According to the six-count civil lawsuit, the couple and their 9-year-old daughter stayed at a Quality Inn hotel on Highway 76 in Branson from Feb. 28 through March 2.
While there, the parents said they had bought their daughter a walking dinosaur toy from Branson’s Wild World, which came with a leash attachment.
According to the lawsuit, the couple’s daughter accidentally left the leash attachment in the room after they checked out.
However, a hotel employee found the leash and posted a picture of it in a popular Facebook group with more than 100,000 members, allegedly naming the father and referring to it as a “sex toy.”
The lawsuit included a screenshot of the post in question with what was reportedly written with the image:
“If anyone knows (name of the father), tell him he left his (EXPLITIVE) torture toy in the hotel room he thrashed in Branson last night. Pic of said toy attached…
EDIT: I’m not upset that they did kinky (EXPLETIVE) in a hotel room. I’m pissed cause they thrashed it and stole pretty much everything that they could carry. This EXACT reason is why the rest of Springfield and surrounding areas have to pay a [deposit] to stay in Branson.”
According to the defamation lawsuit, the employee also said they stole from the hotel, which the couple denies.
The husband and wife claim the post has hurt their reputations and their jobs, and their children have suffered stress from classmates asking about the picture.
The attorney representing the couple says they are asking for a jury trial with the hope of being awarded more than a million dollars.
Representatives of the hotel have not immediately responded to a request for comment regarding the situation.
The hotel is owned by Choice Hotels, based out of Maryland.
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