DeSoto DA asks court to throw out suit over ‘pedophile sympathizer’ comment
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton is seeking dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against him by a local school board member. (Brandon LaGrone II/The Daily Memphian file)
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton on Thursday, July 9, filed a motion seeking dismissal of a defamation lawsuit filed against him by a local school board member.
DeSoto County Schools board member Michele Henley filed suit last week accusing Barton of defamation for comments he made regarding her support for former coach and youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside, who pleaded guilty in 2025 to state charges of having a sexual relationship with a minor.
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Matthew Barton lindsey whiteside Michele Henley DeSoto County District Attorney DeSoto County school board Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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Aarron Fleming
Once an intern, he never left, joining the staff full-time in 2022 as an education reporter. He moved to public safety in 2023, where he covered some of the city’s biggest court cases, including the criminal trials for those charged in the deaths of Tyré Nichols and rapper Young Dolph. He also chronicled the Shelby County Jail and the deaths that have occurred at the facility.
He now provides suburban coverage, focusing on DeSoto County and the surrounding municipalities.
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