Woman Sued Over One-Star Review of Ohio Manufacturing Company

A woman from Columbus, Ohio, is being sued by Starr Manufacturing Inc., an industrial equipment manufacturer based in Vienna, Ohio. The company filed a lawsuit against Julie Watson in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in August, alleging that she made false statements about its manufacturing work in a Google review posted earlier this year.

The review gave the company one star and claimed there were quality-control problems due to poor subcontractors, resulting in field work at multiple well-pad sites. Watson alleged that bolts and fasteners had been improperly connected or inadequately tightened and that there was insufficient oversight of the subcontractors' work.

Starr's attorney has stated that Watson 'has never been a customer' of the company, instead attributing the review to a personal relationship involving Watson and one of the company's employees. The lawsuit alleges that Watson made the statements 'falsely and maliciously' and that people in Ohio viewed, read, and believed her allegations.

The company is seeking actual and compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and litigation costs, which exceed $25,000. Starr also wants the court to stop Watson from continuing to publish the statements online.