QUESTION
Can defamation or slander be proven through a statement in a email?
Asked on Jul 12th, 2013 on Civil Litigation - Mississippi
More details to this question:
A person who was a part of organization sent out emails to several people saying that an event of ours had been canceled. Indeed the event in question was still scheduled to take place and the person was informed of such before they sent out the email. The email I replied with stated that the person was attempting to "sabotage our event and that they were no longer associated with us". I also stated the person was "displaying characteristics that were not qualities that we display in our organization". At the bottom of my email I said that "the information in the email was not meant to defame the person but to inform them that they are not apart of our group anymore". Will this person have a valid case against me?
1 ANSWER
If you make a defamatory statement in an email which you send to third parties (I'm not saying that what you wrote in your email is, but some of it might be considered defamatory) you can be successfully sued for defamation. The disclaimer that "the information in the email was not meant to defame the person" would not shield you. However, if what you wrote is true, it cannot be defamatory. Also, only statements of fact are defamatory, not statements of opinion. Arguably, your statements were merely statements of your own opinion. Also, although there are exceptions to the rule which may apply here, generally a person must be able to show actual money damages in order to win a defamation suit. Did this person suffer any such quantifiable damages as a result of your email?
Answered on Jul 12th, 2013 at 4:09 PM