Drum Cafe Owner Denied Lawsuit

Aviva Nash’s suit against Fox News personalities Bill O’Reilly and Greta Van Susteren has been rejected by a Bronx Supreme Court Judge. The Drum Cafe owner sued O’Reilly and Van Susteren for defamation when the two accused her of being nothing but a “hippie-dippie chick” stealing money from taxpayers with her drumming conferences.

The federal General Services Administration spent almost $300,000 as a part Drum Cafe’s team-building exercises ($20,578 of which was used to buy 4,000 drumsticks).

Nash called their comments “defaming and denigrating.” She argued that this behavior implied her services to be worthless and a waste of money. But Nash says she is a serious businesswoman of a leading company in interactive drumming and rhythm events.

In a ruling last week, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Alexander Hunter found the “stealing” cracks were aimed at the GSA’s “lavish use of taxpayer money to entertain and provide gifts to federal employees” and not at Nash. And while Nash was offended by the “hippie-dippie” comment, it was ruled “an expression of opinion” which cannot “be proven objectively true or false,” the judge wrote.

Nash’s lawyer, Richard Ancowitz, said they’re considering an appeal “to vindicate the good name of Ms. Nash.”