A federal judge in Tennessee has allowed a lawsuit against the Goyim Defense League (GDL) to proceed, rejecting the group's argument that its activities were protected free speech. Judge Aleta Trauger of the Middle District of Tennessee ruled Wednesday that the Gordon Jewish Community Center's complaint sufficiently alleges that GDL operates as a hate-for-profit enterprise that uses antisemitic and racist harassment to generate income and fund further violence.
The lawsuit arises from a ten-day campaign in Nashville in July 2024, during which GDL members allegedly waved swastika flags, shouted obscenities, distributed antisemitic flyers, and harassed and assaulted people perceived to be Jewish or Black. The complaint describes attacks on four young Black children, a Jewish man, and a biracial man, as well as threats made after the in-person tour ended. GDL leader Jon Minadeo II and associates Paul Miller and Travis Keith Garland are named in the suit.
At this stage, the court must treat the complaint's factual allegations as true. Judge Trauger determined that the alleged conduct—including physical violence, intimidation, and targeted harassment—falls outside the protections of the First Amendment. The ruling also highlights GDL's commercial operations, including its streaming platform Goyim TV and online store, which the complaint says fund the group's activities. The case will now move forward toward further proceedings.