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On 17 April, Rutgers won the court case against Dutch ultra-conservative organisation Civitas Christiana concerning slander and online hate. Civitas Christiana has announced its intention to appeal the decision. Rutgers approaches this appeal with great confidence.
With this ruling, the judge has put a stop to disinformation, lies and online hate. According to the court, Civitas Christiana went too far in its accusations against Rutgers, its educational materials and the Spring Fever Week, an annual campaign in the Netherlands, held in Spring, focused on resilience, healthy relationships and sexual health. The judge fully ruled in favour of Rutgers. The court found that Civitas’s claims were not only false, but also harmful and unlawful.
Parents and teachers have been significantly affected by the lies and disinformation spread by Civitas. That is why Rutgers will continue to stand up for the importance of accurate, sensitive and age-appropriate education on resilience, relationships and sexuality—so that children can become more resilient and grow up safely and healthily.
The ruling from the Court is clear and unequivocal: Civitas must refrain from making unfounded accusations about Rutgers and the Spring Fever Week. Rutgers has every confidence that the Court of Appeal will reach the same conclusion and uphold the ruling. Rutgers therefore looks forward to the appeal with confidence.