A distinguished academic has filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and civil conspiracy against a university and two media outlets, claiming her professional reputation was severely damaged by false reports. Pamela Kathleen Douglas, PhD, initiated the legal action on January 17, 2025, in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida. The defendants named in the complaint are the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, Florida Politics LLC, and The College Fix.
Dr. Douglas's complaint outlines a series of events that she claims led to her wrongful termination from UCF and subsequent defamation by media outlets. Dr. Douglas is a renowned computational neuroscientist with dual appointments at UCLA and UCF since 2016. She asserts that her dual role was well-known to both institutions and was not secretive as alleged by Florida Politics in an article published on January 22, 2023. This article accused Dr. Douglas of leading a "double life" with undisclosed dual appointments, which she contends is false since her affiliations were publicly acknowledged through publications and lectures.
The lawsuit further alleges that UCF contributed to this narrative by failing to provide crucial information to Florida Politics before publication and subsequently disseminating the defamatory article within its community. Dr. Douglas claims this misinformation caused significant harm to her career prospects, including rescinded job interviews at prestigious universities like Stanford and Miami.
Dr. Douglas seeks damages exceeding $50,000 for each count against the defendants—Florida Politics for defamation; UCF for defamation and civil conspiracy; and The College Fix for perpetuating defamatory content without seeking her comment or response. Additionally, she requests injunctive relief requiring the removal of all defamatory articles from online platforms controlled by the defendants.
Representing Dr. Douglas is attorney James G. Bishop from Lakeland, Florida. The case is being overseen by Judge Ken Burke under Case Number 25-000238-CI.