RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Supreme Court says social media comments about protecting bears that were posted by Lake Tahoe activists and referred to a longtime wildlife biologist as a murderer constitute "good faith communications" protected as free speech.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports the recent opinion doesn't end a lawsuit filed in Washoe County District Court.

But it settles a key legal question in the dispute between Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist Carl Lackey and an activist at Lake Tahoe. Carolyn Stark of Incline Village claimed she was being unjustly targeted for comments she didn't write on the Facebook page she administers for other activists.