LOS ANGELES  — Jay Asher, author of the best-selling novel “Thirteen Reasons Why” that became a Netflix series, is suing an authors’ group over allegations that he harassed women.

Asher’s defamation lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles, contends that his family, career and reputation were damaged by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and its executive director, Lin Oliver.

Oliver told The Associated Press last year that the group had investigated and found Asher violated its code of conduct. Asher says both claims are false.

His lawsuit says anonymous emails sent to the group falsely alleged that Asher sexually lured and then threatened seven members into silence.

An attorney for Oliver and the group, Andrew Baum, says the lawsuit is meritless and appears to be Asher’s attempt to repair his reputation. MKH

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