A San Diego judge on Friday rejected defamation claims against KPBS and reporter Kori Suzuki over the public media organization's reporting on plans to build a data center in Imperial County.
The complaint, filed by plaintiffs Sebastian Rucci and Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC, alleged defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, according to court documents.
In the ruling, Judge Cynthia Freeland granted the request from KPBS and its parent organization, the San Diego State University Research Foundation, to strike Rucci’s complaint under California’s Anti-Slapp statute.
The law allows defendants to “strike potentially meritless causes of action early in litigation,” according to the San Francisco Bar Association.
“We are thrilled that we prevailed in the litigation brought against KPBS and our reporter Kori Suzuki by Sebastian Rucci,” Deanna Mackey, KPBS general manager said in a statement. “The Court struck all of the plaintiffs’ claims and found that the claims against us were not legally or factually supported.”
“We stand by Kori’s data center reporting and our newsroom’s high journalistic standards,” Mackey’s statement continued. “In order to ensure the public’s right to information, it is vital that KPBS is able to cover issues that impact our region. Our newsroom will continue to report on behalf of the public and not be intimidated."
In December of 2025, KPBS reported that State Sen. Steve Padilla was calling for public review of a massive data center proposed in Imperial County. This was followed by a second story in December, “Imperial Valley city sues to force environmental review of massive data center project.”
A third story was published in January titled, “The plan to build a massive data center in Imperial County — without environmental review.”
The Plaintiffs’ complaint alleged these three stories were, “a coordinated series of defamatory publications disseminated across multiple platforms by Defendants KPBS Public Broadcasting and Kori Suzuki,” according to Freeland’s ruling.
“I respectfully disagree with the court’s assessment," Rucci said in a statement to KPBS following the ruling. “The proper inquiry at this stage is not what KPBS might tell a jury in isolation, but whether a jury, presented with our evidence and the omitted facts, could reasonably find in our favor. We have ample facts supporting that conclusion — far more than outlined here.”
“We bear no malice toward KPBS,” Rucci continued. “However, the pattern of sensational reporting that systematically overlooks economic benefits, environmental mitigations and comparative impacts … The truth emerges only when all material facts are presented.”
The complaint focused on three aspects of the reporting: water usage, the description of the developer’s attempts to avoid environmental review, and the description of past criminal charges against Rucci.
Suzuki reported that Rucci told him the data center would require 750,000 gallons of water per day for facility operations. Rucci also told Suzuki the project would use reclaimed water, which Suzuki was unable to verify.
“Plaintiffs have not provided evidence that Suzuki published a false statement,” Freeland wrote.
Freeland writes that reporting the project would use reclaimed water would have been misleading without verification.
“Whether the Project was designed to use reclaimed water does not alter the true reporting by Suzuki — the Project would require 750,000 gallons of water per day,” Freeland wrote in her ruling.
The plaintiffs’ complaint also took issue with the description of their intention to avoid environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Suzuki reported that Rucci intended for the project to be “ministerial,” meaning it meets requirements for approval without CEQA review.
The plaintiffs did not dispute the accuracy of this reporting, but rather provided Suzuki with a list of other data center projects that were approved in California without CEQA review.
“The fact other data centers have been approved without CEQA review does not render any of Suzuki’s statements false or misleading,” Freeland wrote in her ruling.
The plaintiffs also alleged Suzuki should have included more information to add clarity about Rucci’s past criminal charges.
Suzuki also reported that Rucci was charged with money laundering, promoting prostitution and perjury at a night club he owned.
“Suzuki was not required to give every possible detail surrounding Rucci’s different criminal charges,” Judge Freeland wrote.
“I'm feeling really grateful for the court's decision to grant our anti-SLAPP motion, and I'm looking forward to continuing our ongoing reporting on data center development in Imperial County,” Suzuki said in a statement.
Rucci said in an email he plans to continue pursuing legal action against KPBS.
