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Federal court: Duggar sister privacy lawsuit can proceed

Jul 12, 2019 | 12:09 PM

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — A federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit filed by four reality show sisters can proceed against an Arkansas city that released confidential information about their alleged sexual abuse by a brother.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Joy Duggar had an expectation of privacy when officials from the city of Springdale and Washington County, Arkansas, investigated allegations that their brother Josh sexually abused them.

The sisters sued the officials after the city and county released identifying information about them to InTouch Weekly, a celebrity magazine, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Officials were appealing after a lower court refused to dismiss them from the lawsuit.