 Ampersand filed suit on December 12, 2006, against Chapman University Professor Susan Paterno, author of the article "Santa Barbara Smackdown" that appeared in the "American Journalism Review".The suit alleged 33 instances of false and misleading statements, claimed that Paterno's "article falsely states and implies that Ampersand is an unethical corporate entity engaged in unlawful conduct and that its product, the "Santa Barbara News-Press", is a deficient product" and asserted that McCaw's involvement in the "News-Press" resulted from former editor Roberts' incompetence.Attorneys for the "American Journalism Review" responded to the suit on December 27, 2006.