Libel Suits OK Even If Libel Is Truthful

Defeat Globalism writes to tell us that many journalists, bloggers, and media law specialists are concerned about a new ruling by a US Court of Appeals in Boston. The new ruling is allowing a former Staples employee to sue the company for libel after an email was sent out informing other employees that he had been fired for violations of company procedures regarding expense reimbursements. "Staples has asked the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling, and 51 news organizations have filed a friend-of-the-court brief saying that the decision, if allowed to stand, 'will create a precedent that hinders the media's ability to rely on truthful publication to avoid defamation liability.' But Wendy Sibbison, the Greenfield appellate lawyer for the fired Staples employee, Alan S. Noonan, said the ruling applies only to lawsuits by private figures against private defendants, that is, defendants not involved in the news business, over purely private matters."

Comments

Re:Why would they do that?

[vigmeister]

If my friend leaves the company telling me he just got sick of the management when in fact he was stealing and then asks me for a reference at Company X where I have a friend, I need to know that he was really fired for theft or I risk losing my friend's good will.

TWO FRIENDS?

You must be new here.

I don't see any risk here. You're going to lose your friends soon. Or you could turn in that shiny new geek card. Consider yourself served.

Cheers!

Re:Why would they do that?

[lgw]

The company said

"It is with sincere regret that I must inform you of the termination of Alan Noonan's employment with Staples," it began. "A thorough investigation determined that Alan was not in compliance with our [travel and expense] policies."

The facts are not in dispute here. He did it, and the company said only what they knew he did.

And it doesn't matter whether the company informed the other 1500 employees out of pure malice, it's still not libel (except, apparantly, in Mass.).

He wasn't shown to have stolen.

I'm sorry for confusing you with an analogy that did not include cars. I'll be more careful in the future. Let me try again.

Don't want to be know as a car thief? Here's a hint: don't steal cars!