Oprah Winfrey wants a court to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the ex-headmistress of her girls school in South Africa.

Nomvuyo Mzamane (num-VOO'-yo m-zah-MAH'-neez) is suing Winfrey in federal court in Pennsylvania over remarks she made on her Chicago-based talk show about a sex-abuse case at the school.

A dorm matron who worked under Mzamane is charged in South Africa with abusing six students at the school for poor girls. The ex-headmistress lives in the Philadelphia area and says she cannot find work because of Winfrey's comments.

Winfrey says she and her defendant companies have no business ties to Pennsylvania and should not be sued there.

Winfrey also says the school contract calls for arbitration in such cases.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved