Former Employer Slander

[bess72how]

What is the name of your state? Kentucky
I worked for a gentleman that I considered a friend. Not a close friend but a friendly aquantince. He started having trouble with his business. When speaking with me he blamed the bank and others. I quit working for him because of my school work was taking up too much time and he was stressing me. He called one night while he was out of town and was yelling, cursing, and accusing me of stealing from him. I told him then that I quit. Nobody talks to me that way. He called the next day and was trying to make up for it, saying he was sorry. Someone had stolen his credit card number, etc. When he got back to town I did quit. Since then he has been telling people that I have been taking money from his checking account. I have no access to his accounts and I have not taken any of his money other than my paychecks while I worked for him. He has told numerous people at the facility he works in, his employees, and I think bank personnel.

Is there anything I can do? I live in a small town and 1 out of 3 people know who I am.

 

[quincy]

If this former employer is accusing you of theft, and this accusation is harming your reputation in the community where you live and/or potentially affecting your future employment, you have a good basis for a defamation action.

If this employer is having financial difficulties already, you may have a difficult time collecting any damages awarded you, should a defamation suit against this employer be successful (and there is never a guarantee that it would be) - but often just repairing a damaged reputation may be enough for you to consider it anyway.

Attorneys are expensive, defamation suits are expensive and time-consuming, and evidence of defamation (especially in slander cases) are often difficult to prove. You will need reliable witnesses to the slander that will testify to what has been said about you, should you decide to take this matter to court.

I would consult with an attorney in Kentucky, to get a better idea of whether bringing suit against this former employer is worth pursuing.

 

[bess72how]

Thank you for your advice. I'm not really sure how much his accusations are going to hurt my chances of employment anywhere. Fortunately, no one believes a lot of what comes out of his mouth. It's just the point of him trying to make people think ill of me.
I plan to speak with an attorney soon. Thank you again.

 

[quincy]

If no one believes what he says, then reputational damage is hard to prove - but it is probably worth a chat with an attorney anyway.

Good luck.