In September 2024, Baykeeper and our allies filed a lawsuit in California against Exxon to hold it responsible for its role in the plastic pollution in California’s waterways. In January 2025, Exxon responded by suing us and our partners in Texas, contending we defamed the company and interfered with its business interests.
On February 13, a federal court in Texas dismissed Exxon’s lawsuit against our group of environmental organizations.
We appreciate the dismissal of Baykeeper, Sierra Club, Surfrider, and Heal the Bay from Exxon’s meritless lawsuit. The judge ruled that Exxon’s claims against us don’t belong in Texas. As the ruling states, Baykeeper is focused on the San Francisco Bay watershed and has no connection with Texas, so there is no basis for a Texas court to assert jurisdiction over these claims.
In response to the ruling, Sejal Choksi-Chugh, executive director of Baykeeper said, “Exxon’s lawsuit felt like an attempt to silence its critics and those who were acting on behalf of the public. But these kinds of intimidation tactics will not work. We will continue to speak freely about our litigation and hold Exxon accountable, as protected by the First Amendment and California law.”
Separately, our original case against Exxon is moving forward in California, which means Baykeeper will keep fighting to reduce single-use plastic pollution in and around San Francisco Bay.