Falls Church, VA – Keely Family Farms has filed a Motion to Dismiss, or in the alternative a Motion for Summary Judgment, in response to a personal injury lawsuit filed against the farm in August 2025. The motion was filed February 9, 2026, and challenges the legal sufficiency of claims brought by plaintiff Rachel Maddox.
Maddox's lawsuit relies heavily on statements from a Florida Department of Health (DOH) press release issued in August 2025. According to the farm and supporting affidavits, the DOH issued that release without conducting an on-site inspection, collecting or testing milk samples, interviewing farm representatives, or issuing a formal notice of violation.
Despite publicly alleging that the farm’s products caused serious illness, the DOH did not take regulatory enforcement steps such as halting production or sales. Requests for evidence supporting the agency’s claims have produced no substantiating documentation.
Maddox's lawsuit was filed August 13, 2025, but was not served on the farm until just before Christmas 2025, shortly before a court deadline requiring service.
Keely Family Farms states that its products were labeled in accordance with Florida Department of Agriculture requirements, including notices that certain milk products were not intended for human consumption. The farm also argues that the complaint does not identify evidence demonstrating contamination or showing that a root-cause investigation of any illness was conducted. Supporters of the farm assert that reputational and economic harm resulted from the press release and subsequent media coverage, despite the absence of formal enforcement action or publicly presented evidence. Copies of the motion and supporting affidavits from farm owner Keely Exum and microbiologist Peg Coleman are available here. | 
