Vermont man Robert Lafayette sued the Burlington Free Press and two of its journalists, alleging that its coverage of high school sports was not “statewide” as advertised.

He complained that the Vermont Varsity Insider, a subsidiary of the newspaper which focuses on high school sports, rarely covered schools outside of Chittenden County, where many schools had an advertising relationship with it.

Mr Lafayette claimed that the alleged failure to feature his son’s performances during the 2024-25 season had hurt his college prospects and caused him stress, anxiety, gastrointestinal distress and panic attacks.

However, his claim for compensatory and punitive damages was rejected by a judge who said Vermont’s state constitution protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press, VTDigger reports.

The judge also noted that Mr Lafayette’s submissions had included fake case citations and quotes, which could lead to sanctions.

A final hearing on costs is to take place and the failed case could prove expensive for Mr Lafayette.