Libel?

[burgomaster]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I resigned from a position because I thought my manager had questionable ethics. He was willing to cut corners in the name of profit. He had hired a couple of employees who were good at making money, but in previous jobs had records of dishonesty and had been caught-this is information I had access to or public information (on the web) on which he looked the other way. After I left the job I sent this manager an anonymous email, and copied his superiors, presenting this publicly available information and questioning his ethics in hiring these people. As far as i know, this manager is still at his job, has not suffered any financial losses, and in fact got a raise.

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I resigned from a position because I thought my manager had questionable ethics. He was willing to cut corners in the name of profit. He had hired a couple of employees who were good at making money, but in previous jobs had records of dishonesty and had been caught-this is information I had access to or public information (on the web) on which he looked the other way. After I left the job I sent this manager an anonymous email, and copied his superiors, presenting this publicly available information and questioning his ethics in hiring these people. As far as i know, this manager is still at his job, has not suffered any financial losses, and in fact got a raise.

Your question is...?

 

[burgomaster]

Your question is...?


Could this be grounds got libel?

 

[FlyingRon]

Probably not. Statements of fact are not actionable and neither is most opinions.

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I resigned from a position because I thought my manager had questionable ethics. He was willing to cut corners in the name of profit. He had hired a couple of employees who were good at making money, but in previous jobs had records of dishonesty and had been caught-this is information I had access to or public information (on the web) on which he looked the other way. After I left the job I sent this manager an anonymous email, and copied his superiors, presenting this publicly available information and questioning his ethics in hiring these people. As far as i know, this manager is still at his job, has not suffered any financial losses, and in fact got a raise.

Just to let you know...e-mail is not ALWAYS "anonymous". If someone really wants your info they can get it.

 

[commentator]

Which just all goes to show you how futile it is try to force an employer to do what you want them to, just because you feel in your heart that it's right, or perhaps have a slightly malicious desire to pay somebody back for their treatment of you. The people who received it probably didn't spend forty seconds on your anonymous email, and nothing was accomplished. Except now you're worrying that the two employees might sue you for libel. The people the manager hired probably do not know and probably will never hear of this email blurb. They may, for all you know, have been perfectly honest with the manager who hired them, and he hired them anyway. Either way, it's certainly time for you to move on.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I resigned from a position because I thought my manager had questionable ethics. He was willing to cut corners in the name of profit. He had hired a couple of employees who were good at making money, but in previous jobs had records of dishonesty and had been caught-this is information I had access to or public information (on the web) on which he looked the other way. After I left the job I sent this manager an anonymous email, and copied his superiors, presenting this publicly available information and questioning his ethics in hiring these people. As far as i know, this manager is still at his job, has not suffered any financial losses, and in fact got a raise.

You "thought" your manager had questionable ethics, you claim he was willing to cut corners in the name of profit, and you questioned his ethics in his hiring decisions because he hired employees who were dishonest (the dishonesty of the employees you say can be supported by public information).

The dishonesty of the employees, however, does not make the manager dishonest. One does not necessarily equal the other.

So, yes, what you emailed to the manager's superiors could be considered libelous, should your identity be discovered and should the manager suffer reputational harm as a result and wish to pursue a legal action against you.

How likely any legal action is really depends on all facts and particulars. From what you have posted here, it seems unlikely that anyone would waste any time on your anonymous emails or that your former manager would waste any money on a legal action. Employers are often the target of derogatory comments leveled at them by former employees. These comments are generally ignored.