Possible defamation
I may be the victim of defamatory statements at work. Not only do these statements have a strong impact on my co-workers, but on my managers as well. In fact management is making decisions concerning me based on these statements. I was even recently disciplined over a situation where I was unable to perform my duties due to a staff who would not cooperate with me because of these falsehoods. Sadly,I may have no witnesses who could speak on my behalf. If I am a bad man in the eyes of this audience,they'd sooner speak against me. Therefore I leave you with these questions: 1. Does this seem like a character defamation case? 2. Is it possible to use a polygraph test on this case? Thank you.
2 answers | asked Mar 15, 2001 8:29 PM [EST] | applies to
Answers (2)
Take a look at an article I wrote about defamation in the workplace. After reading the article, if you are interested in meeting with me call me. The link to the article is: http://www.workplacelawyer.com/defamation.html
Ron Schwartz
posted by Ron Schwartz | Feb 21, 2001 10:32 AM [EST]
I would need more information to answer your questions with any accuracy. Specifically, what are the statements that are being made and are they true or false? Defamation is the statement of a fact which is false. It does not cover statements of opinion. So, if someone says you stole $100 and you did not, that is defamation. If someone is saying that you are dishonest, that is probably an opinion and not defamatory. Defamation is hard to prove, particularly so in the work place situation. Polygraph tests are generally not accepted in Illinois courts because of their unreliability.
posted by John H. Otto | Feb 19, 2001 5:48 PM [EST]
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