name-reputation-slander

[kaerts]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland
I have asked an organization, I was once part of, to correct the spelling of my name or to remove it from their website. Nothing has happened, so I canceled my affiliation about a month ago. Recently, they have blamed the error on their contracted web designer; I just got word from the designer that they have no control of these issues.

This is the 10th correspondence that I have either written an email, sent a letter, or been in direct communication by telephone of this organization or contractor thereof in regard to this issue. No one wants to be answerable for this mistake; but yet it has been illustrated for over two months.

I have been in contact with the president, senior staff, general staff, and the contracted web designer to fix or remove my information, nothing is happening, what is my next step? By the way, my name is misspelled in a rather embarrassing manner; although I guess it could be a proper name, it is not mine. I just started my company, and really don’t need bad publicity like this.

Any suggestions would be of great help!

[quincy]

First, defamatory words that are spoken are called slanderous. Defamatory words that are written are called libelous.

From what you have posted here, it does not sound like you have a defamation action worth pursuing. Being listed as having an affiliation with a group when you have no affiliation with a group could, under some circumstances, be enough to support a lawsuit. A misspelled name alone, however, would generally not be enough.

I suggest that you take copies of all of your communications with the organization, and a print-out of the site where your name appears, and have an attorney review it all.

The attorney could potentially draft a letter to the organization explaining that, despite numerous attempts on your part to correct the misspelling of your name on the organization's website, no corrections have been made. Now you are no longer affiliated with the organization and yet your (misspelled) name still appears. The fact that the organization is displaying on their website this erroneous information could be harmful to both you and the reputation of your new business.

Then state that if your name is not removed from the site within X amount of days, you will consider pursuing legal action against them.

I am actually not sure you really have legal action to pursue at this point, but hopefully the threat, coming as it would from an attorney's office, will be enough to get the organization to pressure the web designer into editing the site.

[kaerts]

thanks quincy!