Full question:
I walked upon a fellow worker telling other employees some I know and some I did not know that I was crazy and she looked around into my face. Do I have a slander case? I am in a profession where I am responsible for sick people. I was surprised she would say such a thing.
- Category: Civil Actions
- Subcategory: Defamation
- Date:
- State: Texas
Answer:
Defamation is an act of communication that causes someone to be shamed, ridiculed, held in contempt, lowered in the estimation of the community, or to lose employment status or earnings or otherwise suffer a damaged reputation. Such defamation is couched in 'defamatory language'. Libel and slander are subcategories of defamation. In order to prove defamation, the plaintiff must prove:
1.; that a statement was made about the plaintiffs reputation, honesty or integrity that is not true;
2.; publication to a third party (i.e., another person hears or reads the statement); and
3.; the plaintiff suffers damages as a result of the statement.
Slander is a form of defamation that consists of making false oral statements about a person which would damage that person's reputation. Typically, damages, such as loss of earnings, demotion, firing, denial of benefits, etc. would need to proven to show harm in the workplace.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
