![]() Since 2019, my teacher Steven Hatfield and I have been the target of a calculated internet smear campaign originating in the “Bullshit Martial Arts” Facebook group and carrying over onto some third-party blog sites. In true keyboard warrior fashion, the most vocal of our detractors hid behind pseudonyms and VPNs, writing novel length articles about how my teacher, Steven Hatfield, and I have faked our martial arts history, lied about our credentials, etc. The most damaging claim was that we were supporters of heinous and vile acts of violence against children, which calls into question not just our credentials, but our morals and character as well. Thankfully while the majority of people were able to see through the vitriol, some chose to weaponize it. ![]() Dale Dugas, one of the largest advocates for our character assassination, took the obvious lies and ran with them. From posting countless negative reviews on our businesses, to making over 30 videos threatening us physically, and standing on his virtual soapbox every chance he got, Dale made it clear his goal was to cause us as much damage as possible. He even showed up at my school unannounced with two of his friends in an effort to intimidate me, but after all of his online depravity, was nothing but polite when he was actually in my presence. He likes to say how afraid I was when he walked in, but it doesn't take a body language expert to see otherwise. Due to his continued harassment and libelous posts, we finally served him with a lawsuit in November of 2020 so that he could answer for his transgressions. The coward, who knew there was no substance to any of his claims, failed to show up to court on more than one occasion and even claimed in an email to our attorney that the stress of the lawsuit “severely impacted” him so much so that he wouldn’t be able to face us in court until November 2023, three years after the lawsuit was originally filed. When served with an order compelling him to produce discovery of every post or video he has ever made about us, he admitted to the spoilation of evidence by deleting it (also untrue as everything is still publicly available). All of this while publicly boasting our suit would be “dismissed with prejudice” and he can’t wait to countersue. Turns out that was just more hot air. The lawsuit finally come to conclusion on July 6, 2023 with the Court placing Dale Dugas in judicial default and finding him liable for damages for the defamation and libel against us. For those who are unclear, libel is a “public false written statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation.” So finally, public vindication and legal acknowledgement that the claims of us being frauds and supporters of child rape are FALSE. Now, I fully expect the nameless trolls to double down and try to flood the internet with "proof" to the contrary, but it's meaningless. It doesn't matter how they try to spin it, or how long their ramblings are in an attempt to simply overwhelm the reader into believing it. The justice system has found Dale Dugas liable for having committed defamation and libel against us, and if any of the trolls dare use their real name, the result will be the same, and we will no longer dignify any further ignorance or questions about these allegations with a response as the Court has already decided. Comments are closed.
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Welcome to the official blog of Bret Gordon. Here is where I'll be posting articles relating to the politics of martial arts. For more style specific content, check out the following links:
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