A case that began with a California substitute teacher seeking Greek citizenship spiraled into a social media pressure campaign against the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, lawyer who represented him.

The lawyer, George Kounoupis of Hahalis & Kounoupis, responded with a defamation suit earlier this month against former client Malik Evangelatos, who Konoupis claimed launched a campaign of defamatory online reviews against him. Kounoupis’ complaint argues this is especially damaging for his firm’s referral-based business, catering to a diffuse population of Greek American immigrants.