wrongful termination?

[LezliA]

I live in Indiana. I was fired on October 10th out of the blue. Initialy my employer refused to give me a copy of the termination letter (I refused to sign my agreement to it's contents), but I sent him a law and did get that. They also disputed my unemployment claim but I won that.
Their reason for my termination states that I knowingly violated reasonable and uniformly enforced rules of my employer with respect to my position as the Assistant Director of the Goodwill Family Center. ( a homeless shelter)
There were 3 violations cited all of which were bogus.
I feel the true reason was because a former employee has filed a racial descrimination suit naming me among others. I am NOT a prejudiced person at all and all those who work under me would strongly agree. I think though I am being used as a scapegoat for those who were/are. In fact I predicted to my immeadiate boss that I would be used as one since I was never asked to any meetings concerning this employees suit, even though all the legitimate writeups I had given the individual were being used as evidence. A week before I was fired another employee went to the main bosses and made up a bunch of crap about me...she had been written up for doing several wrong things (like leaving work in the company vehicle during her shift, not calling in, not doing assigned chores etc) This employee also was Black and I think Goodwill was afraid she too would file a suit.
I also found out today that my position had been eliminated and they now hired 2 case managers (the Social Seervices Coordinator had also recently resigned) rather than an Asst Director and Social ServicesCoordinator at, I am sure, a much lower salaries.
To add insult to injury the powers that be also said I was not to be on the shelters property anymore. I became very close to several residents and greatly resent this.
I realize Indiana has Fire At Will laws, but shouldn't they have to have legitimate reasons if they chose to use reasons?
Also can I file slander charges against the employee who lied about me and the boss who believed her and used at least one false accusation as grounds for the termination? I CAN verify that it was a lie.
Another of the reasons was that I had allowed a resident to use my office to research her childs illness on my computer, this had been approved by the director!!!
I am so stressed over this I just don't know what to do.

 

[loku]

“I REALIZE INDIANA HAS FIRE AT WILL LAWS, BUT SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE TO HAVE LEGITIMATE REASONS IF THEY CHOSE TO USE REASONS?”
Unless you have a contract, or unless the organization has set policies, the reasons they give do not have to be “legitimate” as long as they are not discriminatory against protected classes, such as race, religion, age, etc. So, from the facts you give, I don’t think you have a case for wrongful termination.

ALSO CAN I FILE SLANDER CHARGES AGAINST THE EMPLOYEE WHO LIED ABOUT ME AND THE BOSS WHO BELIEVED HER AND USED AT LEAST ONE FALSE ACCUSATION AS GROUNDS FOR THE TERMINATION? I CAN VERIFY THAT IT WAS A LIE.
You can sue the employee who lied about you for defamation. If the boss actually believed her, then there is no action you can bring against the boss; however, if the boss had reason to know or did know that she was lying, then you probably would have a cause of action against the boss.