Defamation is one way that companies and institutions retaliate against whistleblowers. When a corporation or an organization issues statements that could damage a person’s good reputation, that is defamation. The harm that can befall someone who has been defamed can range from moderate to severe and debilitating embarrassment and anxiety to economic damage, such as being unable to find work because their character has been so hurt that employers fail to see the truth of who they are and accurately assess their fitness for a particular position. Recently, a jury awarded over seven million dollars to a former Penn State assistant football coach after they found that the university had defamed him. The man had given testimony which helped prosecutors charge Jerry Sandusky with child molestation.
The former assistant coach claimed that the president of the university released a defamatory statement against him on the day that Sandusky was charged with child molestation. The harm continued as he incurred economic damages in connection with being removed from his job and other damages as the retaliation continued and as school administrators misled him by promising him that they would take appropriate action against Sandusky after he voiced his concerns to them.
In response to the allegations of harm, counsel for the university claimed that it was public opinion and national media coverage that damaged the former assistant coach’s reputation and not any action by the university. Counsel for the university also claimed that it was the former assistant coach’s lack of contacts within the coaching profession and lack of a national reputation that stood in the way of him finding alternate employment. It is not difficult to see that regardless of whether the former assistant coach had contacts within the profession and a national reputation that those resources might not have helped him much in finding a new job after the defamatory statement against him by the university was published all over the place by the national news media.
Barrett Law PLLC: Protecting the Rights of Mississippi Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers are essential to keeping companies and institutions honest. If people do not take the risk and come forward when their employer is doing something wrong, the wrong will likely continue, undiscovered, and people could be harmed. If you feel as though you experienced unfair treatment at the hands of your employer or former employer after you exposed violations of the law, you might be able to recover damages through the whistleblower claims process. If defamation of your character was a part of the retaliatory actions that your employer took against you, it is possible that you could recover for that harm, too. The Mississippi Whistleblower Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC can help you navigate the whistleblower claims process with the aim of obtaining financial recovery for any losses and damages that you may have experienced as a result of your actions. If you have questions about a whistleblower case, please call the Mississippi Whistleblower attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (601) 790-1505 to arrange a free, initial consultation.
