A jury will soon decide whether the talk-show superstar Oprah Winfrey defamed Lerato Nomvuyo Mzamane, who was the former headmistress of Winfrey’s South Africa-based Leadership Academy of Girls.

A trial on the defamation lawsuit filed by Lerato Nomvuyo Mzamane against Oprah Winfrey and Harpo, her production company, is arranged to start in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 29.

In 2007, a group of students at Winfrey’s South African leadership academy accused dorm parents of sexual abuse. Afterwards, a dorm mother was charged with abusing and assaulting students. Winfrey was intimately involved with the academy. After knowing the incident, Winfrey released a public statement stating that she will do everything in her power to ensure the safety and well being of the students, because for her, nothing is more serious or scourging than an accusation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy. Mzamane was soon put on an administrative leave while investigation is unfinished. Later, Winfrey lost confidence in Mzamane’s capability to run the school. Because of this, Mzamane sued for defamation, false light and infliction of emotional distress.

U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno issued a decision which allowed the defamation and false light claims to go to trial. The ruling shows there’s sufficient evidence in the record that will satisfy the clear and convincing evidence standard for actual malice. Mzamane’s case resulted in her not being able to get another education job for a year because it has damaged her reputation.

On the other hand, Winfrey’s lawyers tried to present her statements as opinion, however, judge believes that with extreme circumspection, she’s being reckless.