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mzlucy2712 · Mar 16, 2012, 01:30 PM

I work for a hotel in a city I recently moved to. I moved here not know a soul. Its just me, my 2 kids and my disabled mother. In November 2011, a large amount was stolen out of the drop at my job. My Asst. General Manager and I already don't seem to see eye to eye but she spoke to everyone at our other property stating she felt I stole the money. Definitely a false statement, but I was brought into a one-on-one meeting with my GM, AGM, and the Owner of my job because I was being accused of stealing the money. Not once did they bring any other employee in this kind of meeting. I then had a meeting with the owner and my GM informing them of my sistuaion having cancer and a cyst on my ovaries that are causing me to have a complete hysterectomy and would be out for 5-7 weeks. That was a confidential meeting and was not supposed to be spread. I gone on Facebook and send my coworker a friend request she in turn tells me to not send her a request and then post on her page, stating my name, negative comments about me. I don't see these until 2 months after she posted it. I make a response to it on my page that somehow reaches her daughter and niece, who chose to comment under my page... They started bringing up things like "I went crying for my job back after being gone for 7wks lied saying I had cancer to get my job back". First off, I'm thinking, How did they know that when it was said in private between me, my GM, and the owner (who lives in California)? Then my coworker post something else on her page with my name on it, and her cousin responds by asking, "Is that the hoe ya'll say stole the money out'the safe?" She doesn't even work for my hotel, and again that was also a meeting between myself, my GM, AGM, and the owner.

Mind you, my manager tells me in front of the owner, " if you speak to someone when you come back to work, and they don't speak, don't take it personal." Now why would she say that.

My question is is this defamation of character/slander/libel and can I sue my coworker, my GM, AGM, and my company for allowing that information to be spread when they were stated in confidential meetings?

mzlucy2712 · Mar 16, 2012, 01:34 PM

Mind you, I'm thinking "I'm in this new city, who's to say the next person I have to receive an interview from is a friend of one of the people who commented/posted those statements about me." I honestly don't know many people here and to find a new job after being called a thief and a liar... I just need help on what I can do besides constantly deleting comments about me.

AK lawyer · Mar 16, 2012, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by mzlucy2712

... she spoke to everyone at our other property stating she felt I stole the money.

... They started bringing up things like "I went crying for my job back after being gone for 7wks lied saying I had cancer to get my job back". First off, I'm thinking, How did they know that when it was said in private between me, my GM, and the owner (who lives in California)? ...
My question is is this defamation of character/slander/libel and can I sue my coworker, my GM, AGM, and my company for allowing that information to be spread when they were stated in confidential meetings?

First, if you sue the three individuals, how do you expect to prove which one said it? You could possibly, through extensive discovery, come up with some evidence on that score, but it is doubtful.

Also, what exactly is it you feel to be defamatory? The report that you cried for your job back? Or the story that you lied about having cancer? No, if it is true it is not defamation, If the part about "crying" for your job is not true, I fail to see how it damages your reputation, which is a necessary element of defamation. The story that you stole the money may be defamatory, but you just told us that "everyone" was told the false story that you stole the money. So you clearly cannot pin that lie on the three individuals you met with.

ballengerb1 · Mar 16, 2012, 04:29 PM

What damages do you have? I don't see that anyone knowly said something that they knew for sure was 100% false. People have to say things about people are they know are fales and that cause that person damage like loss of money or job because of the statement. Were the police involved, did they question you, arrest you or someone else?

mzlucy2712 · Mar 16, 2012, 06:46 PM

Was the one being accused of stealing over $3000 from a safe, which was stated in a confidential meeting between myself and 3 other people, which then was posted by someone on FB (Oh is she the girl you say stole the money from the sage?) And the person responded yes. Now, more money has come up missing and they are accusing me, my job is on the line, plus the I overheard the GM discussing with a guest that, "This is 2nd incident involving her and money missing). This shouldn't have been said because the only reason it involved me is because they didn't involve any other coworker.

I recently went to an interview, and when asked about my last employee, they knew my GM and remembered my name... No need to say I didn't get the job.

mzlucy2712 · Mar 16, 2012, 06:50 PM

I was the one being accused of stealing over $3000 from a safe, which was stated in a confidential meeting between myself and 3 other people, which then was posted by someone on FB (Oh is she the girl you say stole the money from the sage?) And the person responded yes. Now, more money has come up missing and they are accusing me, my job is on the line, plus the I overheard the GM discussing with a guest that, "This is 2nd incident involving her and money missing). This shouldn't have been said because the only reason it involved me is because they didn't involve any other coworker.

I recently went to an interview, and when asked about my last employee, they knew my GM and remembered my name... No need to say I didn't get the job.

The proof I have is print outs from FB showing both statements that were said about me and statements showing my response with dates and the names of the people who said it.

I guess I thought since the information that was being said, being that its definitely untrue, and was said in a private managers meeting, shouldn't have been said to anyone else yet alone be able to be twisted in the manner that it has been.

ballengerb1 · Mar 16, 2012, 08:42 PM

Hink yourmeeting qualifies as confidentialYou skipped all my question in #4, please answer them. What makes you think your meeting qualifies as confidential.

ScottGem · Mar 17, 2012, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by mzlucy2712

I was the one being accused of stealing over $3000 from a safe, .

From what you have said I see nothing that you could win an action over.

You said that the person said he "felt" you had stolen the money. Nothing untrue about that. Where you arrested for stealing it? If not, you can simply respond that you were not arrested or even dismissed for stealing because there is no proof that you did.

Was information leaked from a meeting you thought was confidential? Yeah, but nothing actionable about that. And people gossiping on FB is not actionable either. Unless someone stated flat out that you, in fact, stole the money there is no winnable case here.

mzlucy2712 · Mar 18, 2012, 07:42 PM

The statement stated from someone I don't know asking, was I the one the said stole the money out the safe... I didn't... so for someone who doesn't know me to know about something that happened at my job... we have 2 locations I work at one and the person who has being saying I stole this money works at the other location (this person is my AGM)... the meetings were personally requested meetings, one after I had just left the Dr. Office crying, and the other the day after the money was missing. I hadn't told anyone at my job what I was going through except my GM ( who's bestie with the AGM) and the owner, so how everyone at the other property and people I don't know can make false comments about information that should have never been told to them. Information regarding the money being stolen, was spread on me, disregarding the fact that they accused/interview/forced to pay nobody else but me. The last statement used in that meeting was if I say I didn't steal it then they will just say this person did it since they aren't here to defend them self. Two months later a post and comments with my name clearly in it are stating that I stole the money, I lied about it, I have people threatening me that obviously know more about me than they should and I don't know who or what they are. All over lies being told about me on Facebook from my co-workers.

So there is nothing I can do... I told my GM and the owner that I wasn't telling anybody because it was such a sensitive situation... but how not only my property but the other property knows and their friends/family... idk... but I know my hotel property name and their principals and this is wrong...

ballengerb1 · Mar 18, 2012, 08:07 PM

It may be wrong but does not appear to illegal, sorry.

smoothy · Mar 18, 2012, 08:15 PM

Tellers in banks and store cashiers get fired all the time for being short on their till without proof they actually stole anything. Its not illegal for a previous employer to give the reason you was terminated or left even though most tend to shy away from that.

People gossip all the time... they always have, they always will. As others have stated, it doesn't appear to be anything you can sue over.

Sometimes you just have to put unpleasant experiences behind you and move on... particularly ones you have less than no control over.

ScottGem · Mar 19, 2012, 03:33 AM

We aren't saying you were treated fairly, you weren't. But you asked whether you had a case for a civil suit, and I don't see a winnable case.

You apparently have not be fired over the accusations, so that should quiet the rumors. You might ask your GM for an apology from the AGM.