News•August 14, 2014 7:10 PM ET•10,084 views

Noted booking agent sued for Twitter defamation

Booking agent Joseph Cassiere (aka JJ Cassiere) has filed a lawsuit against former colleague and prominent booking agent Dave Shapiro, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Shapiro's current roster includes a slew of popular bands, including A Day To Remember, Of Mice & Men, Memphis May Fire, We Came As Romans, Whitechapel, Stick To Your Guns. Cassiere, who used to handle booking for Mychildren Mybride, Oh Sleeper, Impending Doom, and For The Fallen Dreams, among others, alleges that Shapiro created a Twitter account to make Cassiere "appear to be foolish, inept and sexually perverted." Cassiere says that his reputation was badly damaged, leading to his eventual termination from The Agency Group, where he worked for Shapiro. Cassiere is seeking damages through a California cyber-bullying law and is also pursuing a defamation claim. The Hollywood Reporter describes the lawsuit particulars as follows:

After being hired in 2010, Cassiere alleges that Shapiro began to cyber-impersonate him by creating a Twitter account called @QuotesOfJJ, with an actual photo of Cassiere in the profile page. The account followed other industry professionals. The lawsuit doesn't provide any definitive evidence that Shapiro was actually behind @QuotesOfJJ. Instead, the basis for the suspicion that Shapiro is responsible is provided through nods to what others told Cassiere, the way that Shapiro mentioned @QuotesOfJJ on his own personal Twitter account, and the way that Shapiro responded when being accused of the impersonation and told to stop. The lawsuit says that Shapiro has denied involvement.

Cassiere, who is represented by Douglas Hayes of Hurwitz, Orihuela & Hayes, seeks "lost wages, medical bills, compensatory, exemplary and punitive damages." The full complaint can be read here.