The Duggar sisters' trial may be brought against a city that has published information about allegations of sexual abuse by his brother Josh:

A lawsuit filed by four reality TV sisters may sue a city in Arkansas that leaked confidential information about their alleged sexual abuse by a brother, a federal court of appeal announced Friday.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Joy Duggar were expecting privacy when officials from the City of Springdale and Washington County investigated allegations that their brother Josh sexually assaulted them between 2002 and 2003. when they were minors.

The sisters sued officials after the city and county released identification information about them to InTouch Weekly, a celebrity magazine, in response to a request from the Freedom of Information Act. The court wrote that, although the names of the sisters were expurgated in the report of the officials, they contained "other identifying information", such as age and sex. address, indicating that the sisters had a legitimate expectation that would remain confidential.

Citing the standard according to which the confidentiality of the disclosed information is judged, the court wrote: "The content and circumstances of these disclosures do not only meet the standard of" shocking degradation or blatant humiliation ", they illustrate them."

Officials were appealing after a lower court refused to dismiss them from trial. They argued that they met the conditions required to benefit from immunity.

The Court of Appeal disagrees, saying that immunity protects public servants who respond badly in confused situations. However, it does not "protect unreasonable errors or blatant incompetence," the court wrote.

The sisters are suing officials under the state's civil rights law, alleging violations of their right to privacy.

Neither sisters' lawyers nor officials responded to requests for comment.

The Duggar family was on the TLC reality show "19 Kids and Counting". He was removed from the network after allegations were made that Josh had mistreated the four sisters and a babysitter. In 2015, the family posted a statement on their website and on social media in which Josh admitted to hurting "family and close friends", but did not say how he hurt them.

He also said that he was looking for forgiveness and had received advice.