B.C. Court of Appeal declares ex-SFU instructor a vexatious litigant, citing years of meritless lawsuits

A former SFU instructor who repeatedly launched lawsuits alleging conspiracy and defamation against academics, journalists, and judges has been declared a vexatious litigant by the BC Court of Appeal.

In a May 23 ruling, Justice Bruce Butler granted an application from Burnaby Beacon and former reporter Dustin Godfrey, who were previously sued by Dr. Masood Masjoody for defamation over their 2022 reporting on his dismissed claims.

“Masjoody has unreasonably persisted in attempting to pursue claims and applications that have been dismissed,” Butler said. “His original claims of defamation and conspiracy have been modified and repeated against new parties, including against lawyers and judges.”

The ruling prevents Masjoody from initiating or continuing any appeals in the Court of Appeal without its permission, citing a years-long pattern of “habitual, persistent, and without reasonable cause” litigation.

Masjoody, who represented himself, has been involved in at least seven civil lawsuits and eight appeals since 2020, which have been described as repetitive, legally groundless, or steeped in “outrageous” accusations. 

The wave of lawsuits began in 2020 after Masjoody filed suit against SFU and a colleague following a harassment complaint lodged against him. That case was dismissed by the courts on the basis that it fell under employment dispute resolution mechanisms and lacked jurisdiction. The decision sparked a storm of further litigation.

According to Justice Butler’s ruling, Masjoody’s suits have grown increasingly inflammatory over time. In court, online, and in letters to judges, he accused the judiciary of fabricating rulings, supporting “terrorist regimes,” and participating in conspiracies to silence him. 

He alleged SFU administrators were enabling “spies from the Islamic Republic of Iran” and referred to court rulings as acts of bias and deception. In one letter to then-Chief Justice Robert Bauman, he called a judge’s conduct: “reprehensible,” “inhumane” and “barbarically biased.”

Masjoody repeatedly tried to reopen his initial case against SFU, despite it being dismissed in 2021 and upheld on appeal in 2022. He filed a second appeal on the same matter in 2023 – this time focusing on the judge’s procedural ruling to retain conduct over future applications – which the court again dismissed, stating the matter was already adjudicated.

Even after those rejections, Masjoody filed more lawsuits and appeals, targeting journalists, tech companies, and other litigants. 

In 2022, he sued Burnaby Beacon for $11 million, arguing the media outlet’s reporting on his failed SFU lawsuit defamed him. The trial judge dismissed the claim in 2024, finding that Beacon’s article fell under fair comment, responsible communication, and other legal defences. 

The judge also halted Masjoody’s oral submissions after three-and-a-half hours when he attempted to argue that Court of Appeal judges had falsified documents – comments the judge said “clearly verged on the vexatious.”

Masjoody’s conduct extended beyond the courtroom. He posted photos of opposing lawyers in prison garb online, called for their arrest on social media, and submitted applications seeking criminal investigations into witnesses for alleged perjury. 

Judges in multiple separate proceedings have awarded special costs against him for abusing the court process.

Despite these warnings and costs, Masjoody continued launching new proceedings, recycling the same themes of defamation, conspiracy, and systemic bias. He sued X (formerly Twitter), Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, and 15 others.

Even when he partially succeeded – such as in an appeal where X failed to enforce a California forum selection clause – Butler noted these victories were unrelated to Masjoody’s central claims and were brought by the defendants, not Masjoody himself.

Justice Butler reviewed dozens of affidavits, letters, applications, and court rulings, concluding Masjoody’s litigation bears “many, if not all” of the hallmarks of vexatious proceedings.

These included refiling dismissed claims, targeting opposing lawyers and judges, ignoring every cost order, and disregarding prior court warnings.

“The court system should not be burdened with these proceedings,” Butler wrote, adding that the breadth and tone of Masjoody’s allegations were “unsupported by evidence” and imposed “unnecessary costs on opposing parties.”

The order restricts Masjoody from filing new appeals or continuing existing ones without leave. He may still apply to cancel or vary the order, but these requests must be made in writing and may be dismissed without an oral hearing. 

Butler also referred Masjoody’s pending appeal of the Burnaby Beacon ruling for summary dismissal.