need advice on possible slander or libel

[muso74]

Michigan
a lady who was removed from our organization for violating our code of conduct bylaws has been texting with threats of ruining our organization and has posted negative untrue things on facebook and county websites.
do i have any legal recourse

 

[quincy]

Michigan
a lady who was removed from our organization for violating our code of conduct bylaws has been texting with threats of ruining our organization and has posted negative untrue things on facebook and county websites.
do i have any legal recourse

Do you have any legal recourse? Possibly.

What sort of organization is involved?

What sort of threats have been sent by text, and to whom?

What negative, untrue comments have been posted?

On what sort of Facebook page have the negative, untrue postings appeared (private, public)?

On what sort of county websites have the negative, untrue postings appeared (and why county websites)?

 

[muso74]

A non profit vintage baseball team. She tagged the team in a photo threatening to escalate the drama on her facebook page and county facebook page

 

[Just Blue]

A non profit vintage baseball team. She tagged the team in a photo threatening to escalate the drama on her facebook page and county facebook page

Wow. That really answered all of the questions Quincy asked!!

 

[quincy]

A non profit vintage baseball team. She tagged the team in a photo threatening to escalate the drama on her facebook page and county facebook page

Okay, so there is drama on the baseball team, just as there is probably drama between some of the members on the team and as there is probably drama between the different teams. That is not all that unusual.

However, if this former member of your organization is telling tales about the team, similar perhaps to a Patriots' deflate-gate story but with baseballs, and unlike the Patriots the tales are false instead of true, and these tales have caused injury to the reputation of the team or to individual members of the team, to the point where the team loses a sponsor or the team is kept from competition, a legal action against the tale-teller is something the organization can consider.

Threatening to "escalate the drama" without actually escalating the drama, on the other hand, would not be enough to support a suit. Expressing negative opinions about the team (e.g., "The team sucks") would not be enough to support a suit. Telling true but negative stories about the team would not be enough to support a suit (under most circumstances).

Whether there is any legal action depends on exactly what has been said, how it has been said (e.g., with humor?) and to what extent any falsehoods told are believed by others to be true. If believed true, it then depends on how the community has reacted to what has been said.

A personal review by an attorney in your area appears necessary and is recommended.