Ohio company sues woman over one-star Google review, seeks more than $25,000 in defamation lawsuit

An Ohio family-owned manufacturing company is suing a woman over a one-star Google review, alleging that she made false and malicious claims about the company’s quality and manufacturing record, according to a report in PEOPLE.

Starr Manufacturing Inc., an industrial equipment manufacturer based in Ohio, filed a defamation lawsuit against Columbus resident Julie Watson in the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 12, according to a legal complaint obtained by PEOPLE. The unusual lawsuit centers on a public Google review that the company says caused significant reputational and business damage.

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What did the woman say in her Google review?

According to the complaint, Watson “falsely and maliciously made claims” that Starr Manufacturing had various quality and manufacturing failures with multiple customers.

The company also alleges that Watson wrote that she “could provide names and addresses of additional people who could confirm these manufacturing issues.” Starr Manufacturing claimed the statements were false and that the Google review damaged its reputation.

The company further said it believes Watson could “continue to post and/or publish the false and malicious allegations” unless a court prevents her from doing so.

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Company seeks more than $25,000

Starr Manufacturing is seeking more than $25,000 in damages, although the precise amount would be determined at trial, according to the lawsuit. The company is also seeking court costs and attorney fees.

Thomas Nader, the attorney representing Starr Manufacturing, told PEOPLE that the dispute is not a case of a dissatisfied customer criticizing a business.

“The defendant is not a customer of Starr Manufacturing and has never been a customer of Starr Manufacturing,” Nader told PEOPLE.

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He claimed that the negative Google review stemmed from a personal dispute involving Watson and an employee of the company.

“This was the result of a personal relationship between the defendant and an employee of Starr Manufacturing,” he continued. “[This lawsuit] is not about Starr Manufacturing being upset about a bad review from a customer. This is a personal vendetta.”

Watson could not be reached for comment, according to PEOPLE.

Starr Manufacturing has 13 Google reviews

The case also draws attention to the company's relatively small number of Google reviews.

Starr Manufacturing currently has a total of 13 Google reviews, according to the information cited in the report. Watson has posted several Google reviews over the past seven years, with the Starr Manufacturing review apparently standing out because it was the only one-star review among them.

The rest of Watson's reviews were five-star ratings.

The lawsuit illustrates how Google reviews can become a legal issue when businesses believe that statements posted publicly are false and damaging. While customers routinely use online reviews to share experiences and opinions, companies can challenge statements they believe cross the line into defamatory claims.

For now, the allegations in Starr Manufacturing's lawsuit remain claims made in court, and no final determination has been made regarding whether Watson's statements were defamatory.