Defamation/slander by employer

[sherribabee]

A friend of mine recently put in her notice to quit mid-November.

Her boss has since begun to spread lies about her throughout the office, blaming her for failed projects, saying she was not a reliable employee, etc. My friend is afraid that these lies will hurt her when she seeks new employment, as many of her coworkers may serve a references for her.

She wants to write a sort of "cease & desist" letter to her boss. What should such a letter say?

 

[lawrat]

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

Can she back up the claims of defamtion she is making? With solid, hard core proof?

The best cease and desist letter is one written by an attorney, on attorney's letterhead because that, in and of itself, says a lot. The very fact she took the time out to seek legal advice, the fact a lawyer wrote this based on what she has told the attorney, speaks volumes about the validity of her case.

Catch my drift? Also, may want to add a clause whereby she only gives them consent to say her title, exact job duties and dates of employment to potential employers.