Harrassment and/or libel?

[chintana]

What is the name of your state? California

I'm an instructor at a California Community College in my 2nd year of the tenure process. The chair of the department took a personal dislilke to me and has been harrassing me for the last year.

In my latest evaluation, the department chair included many lies that can be easily refuted by my student evaluations (which were extremely positive) and by the written testimony of at least one other long-standing department member. Her false statements and accusations and her political machnantions to load the committee resulted in the committee recommending not to rehire me.

Her bias is clear and as I said most if not all of her statements can be refuted. Do I have grounds for a libel case against the department chair personally? If so, how much money will I need? She has done and continues to do her utmost to damage my good reputation.

 

[Beth3]

No, you don't have a case for libel. Your department chair is entitled to her opinion of you/your performance and may communicate such to other members of the organization. They are all "parties in interest" in your employment and consequently have a high degree of protection against such suits. They have no obligation to rehire you.

 

[chintana]

So its ok for her to lie?

 

[cbg]

There is a difference between a lie and a differing opinion. If everyone else thinks you're doing a great job and she thinks you're doing a lousy job, that's not a lie. That's a differing opinion and she is entitled to it.

It's also okay if what she said is legitimately false, but she honestly believes it to be true. She's allowed to be mistaken.

The only way it's an outright lie is if she says, "Chintana did (or didn't do) this" when you didn't (or did) AND SHE KNOWS IT.

 

[chintana]

Well, that's exactly what she did. Most of her observations are deliberate twistings of the truth, others are complete fabrications. I don't even know where she came up with them.

However, I suppose proving that she *knows* what she said is untrue is not an easy thing to do. She could always lie again and say that she *thought* it was true, even though she knows what she said was a lie.

So still no legal recourse?

It just burns me that she can lie so blatantly and do her best to ruin my reputation and put a spot on my otherwise excellent record and there's nothing I can do about it.