Case of slander/libel?

[Carol Pardon]

What is the name of your state?
Virginia

I am writing to ask if I have a case of libel/slander/defamation in the workplace. Here is the situation:

I am a part-time employee at a community center that is an agency of a county government. For the past eight years I have been the staff secretary to the community center’s unsalaried, eleven-member governing board,

One of the adult board members has a habit of intimidating staff members and requesting preferential treatment based on his membership on the board. In addition, on several occasions he has expressed the opinion that the staff is out to undermine him.

Also, it should be noted that this board member has tried on several occasions to get around the Virginia FOIA regarding public meetings through such tactics as making “off-the-record” comments, trying to get Board members to meet in closed sessions with no staff or public present, etc.

Recently, this board member has begun including me in his accusations that the community center staff is out to get him. This is because I draft the minutes of the governing board meetings, and I take my job to maintain the integrity of the public record seriously.

At a board meeting a couple of months ago, I included in the minutes some of the remarks he made during debate. He must have suspected that he had gone over the edge in the meeting because he asked me for an advance copy of the minutes.

When this board member received the minutes, he fired off an e-mail stating falsely that I had done them all wrong, that his remarks should not have been included, etc. He copied this e-mail to all members of the board except for the official board secretary and the executive director (my supervisor) who had reviewed and approved the minutes.

Then during the next meeting he proceeded to excoriate me and to make the comment that he knew that the staff was out to get him. The other board members did nothing to stop his attack on my personal and professional integrity. There were also a couple members of the public in attendance.

A day or two after the meeting this board member sent another e-mail, demanding that the names of speakers during debate be left out of the minutes. He concluded by stating that I was out to get him. I have the e-mails and the tape recording from the meeting.

My boss and I went to human resources at the county and were told that there was nothing they could do to stop him since board members are not county employees. They are elected by a community preference poll, and then officially appointed by the county board of supervisors.

I am extremely intimidated by this man. My professionalism has been compromised and my work is suffering. I do not see an end to this situation. I cannot quit this job since I am a couple of years from retirement and need the money to support myself and my autistic son.

I understand that workplace bullying is not illegal, but what about the false accusations that I am out to get this man? Does that constitute libel/slander/defamation?

Any advice would be deeply appreciated.What is the name of your state?

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state?
Virginia

I am writing to ask if I have a case of libel/slander/defamation in the workplace. Here is the situation:

I am a part-time employee at a community center that is an agency of a county government. For the past eight years I have been the staff secretary to the community center’s unsalaried, eleven-member governing board,

One of the adult board members has a habit of intimidating staff members and requesting preferential treatment based on his membership on the board. In addition, on several occasions he has expressed the opinion that the staff is out to undermine him.

Also, it should be noted that this board member has tried on several occasions to get around the Virginia FOIA regarding public meetings through such tactics as making “off-the-record” comments, trying to get Board members to meet in closed sessions with no staff or public present, etc.

Recently, this board member has begun including me in his accusations that the community center staff is out to get him. This is because I draft the minutes of the governing board meetings, and I take my job to maintain the integrity of the public record seriously.

At a board meeting a couple of months ago, I included in the minutes some of the remarks he made during debate. He must have suspected that he had gone over the edge in the meeting because he asked me for an advance copy of the minutes.

When this board member received the minutes, he fired off an e-mail stating falsely that I had done them all wrong, that his remarks should not have been included, etc. He copied this e-mail to all members of the board except for the official board secretary and the executive director (my supervisor) who had reviewed and approved the minutes.

Then during the next meeting he proceeded to excoriate me and to make the comment that he knew that the staff was out to get him. The other board members did nothing to stop his attack on my personal and professional integrity. There were also a couple members of the public in attendance.

A day or two after the meeting this board member sent another e-mail, demanding that the names of speakers during debate be left out of the minutes. He concluded by stating that I was out to get him. I have the e-mails and the tape recording from the meeting.

My boss and I went to human resources at the county and were told that there was nothing they could do to stop him since board members are not county employees. They are elected by a community preference poll, and then officially appointed by the county board of supervisors.

I am extremely intimidated by this man. My professionalism has been compromised and my work is suffering. I do not see an end to this situation. I cannot quit this job since I am a couple of years from retirement and need the money to support myself and my autistic son.

I understand that workplace bullying is not illegal, but what about the false accusations that I am out to get this man? Does that constitute libel/slander/defamation?

Any advice would be deeply appreciated.What is the name of your state?

Hire a lawyer (about $20K) and devote two to three years to this case. If you win, don't expect them to do anything different.

 

[Carol Pardon]

Okay, but what I want to know is, is my complaint a slander/libel case? Would it stand up in court as a slander/libel case?

The board member who is harassing me is a wealthy lawyer and the president of a labor union. If my case is strong enough and he recognizes it as such, he might want to avoid the publicity of a trial and just stop intimidating me. I could hire a lawyer to write this man a letter and to come to a board meeting and deliver some remarks. The case might never have to go to court.

I am a part-time, clerical employee with very limited financial resources. I am entertaining this option because I have no others. I am nearly 65 years old and have a couple more years before I qualify for a small, but needed pension. I just want to do my job in peace. I don't want to end up like a couple of my friends who suffered workplace intimidation. One had a stroke and the other permanent nerve damage from the stress.

So, once again, do I have a slander/libel case?

 

[cbg]

No, you don't. Everything he has stated is opinion. Under the laws of this country, he is entitled to do that.

 

[Quaere]

WHAT is the problem? He's accusing you of doctoring the minutes. If the meetings are all recorded, just refer him to the tape and assure him that if he can find an error you will be happy to correct it.

but what about the false accusations that I am out to get this man

He's making the accusation right in front of you. Next time he does it, STAND UP and tell him exactly how you feel about him, how offended you are by his accusations that you allow those feelings to affect your work, and refer him to the tapes.

As cbg said, you do not have a defamation case here.

 

[Carol Pardon]

Thank you both. I needed to know if I had any legal recourse. It was a last resort for me, trying to find a legal remedy to my problem. I won't waste any more effort on it.

As a lowly clerical staff person, I cannot rebut this man's false accusations in board meetings. However, this man's behavior is getting more and more erratic, and I think that other board members who at first were swayed by him may start to see things differently.

I appreciate your responses.