Supreme Court will hear dispute over advertising agency's text messages for US Navy

The Supreme Court will consider whether an advertising agency hired to boost recruitment for the U.S. Navy is immune from a lawsuit that claims it illegally authorized thousands of unsolicited text messages.

The justices said Monday they will hear an appeal from the Campbell-Ewald Company, which claims federal contractors can't be sued under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

The agency sent the messages through a subcontractor to thousands of cell phones, including one belonging to Jose Gomez. Gomez says he never consented to receiving the texts and filed a class-action lawsuit.

A federal appeals court rejected the company's claim that government contractors are immune from such lawsuits. The company also argues that Gomez can't pursue a class action because he refused an offer to settle the case.