I used to work at a foster care facility with my husband. I was in charge of fund raising, he is in charge of compliance. We met a boy there that we wanted to adopt. He's 17. We went through the process to have him with the state before telling our employers. The Executive Director & I do not get along. I was asked to leave the Ranch at the beginning of the month because they were reorganizing and wanted me to be a contractor & gave me the equip to do so. When we told them of the steps we took in wanting to get this boy it turned ugly. They told the staff I was not to have any contact with the boys "for reasons they can't say". The staff told this boy these things. He is heart broken and they even talked to the state. He is being torn in half & I don't want that. My old co workers have this statement in their mind, and my husband was told he had no character or integrity because we didnt go to them 1st. My husband feels uneasy there & we think he is being let go. Defamation???
2007-02-09 03:55:04 · 7 answers · asked by K-men mom 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Defamation is a false statement of or concerning the plaintiff intended to cause harm or injury to reputation published to a third party. Truth is an abolute defense to defamation.
Based on the information you gave, if the Exec Director did not make any statements but merely said "for reasons they can't say" there was no false statement made and you don't have a cause of action.
However, if there were other things that were said or written about you then you might have a cause of action. Contact an attorney if you think this may be the case.
2007-02-09 04:30:28 · answer #1 · answered by Peter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
defamation of character can come in many forms. First, there is slander, a spoken statement made with the knowledge that it was false to a third person who understood it, and then libel, which is the same criteria applied to a statement recorded in some manner. You need some proof of what was said, when, by whom and to whom. Otherwise, youre going to have a very difficult time proving your damages
2007-02-09 12:14:06 · answer #2 · answered by Jeffrey V 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be wrongful dismissal or creation of a hostile work environment. It doesn't really sound like defamation unless his boss was the one who said he had no character or integrity. My husband (a lawyer) says you are likely to have better luck under employment law.
2007-02-12 08:50:32 · answer #3 · answered by wisegirl1204 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I honestly do not think you have a defamation case.
If there is a race issue involved, then you could have a
discrimination case.
I would at least contact legal aid, and get a lawyer's advice before proceeding.
2007-02-09 12:03:15 · answer #4 · answered by phoenix 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't sound like defamation, but you may have some other cause of action against your former employer.
You should seek the advice of a lawyer in your area.
2007-02-09 12:00:09 · answer #5 · answered by www.lvtrafficticketguy.com 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You will have to tell us exactly what he said. Generally, opinions aren't subject to defamation, and if what he said is true, then there is no case at all.
2007-02-09 12:01:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope....no slander in that statement.... Innuendo, maybe.
Nevertheless, it sounds like a sad situation that the young fellow shouldn't have been subjected to.
2007-02-09 12:01:14 · answer #7 · answered by Jack 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋