Legal Question in Employment Law in California

Re: deframation of character

If someone said something to a third person (or wrote something) about you that was untrue, the third party believed it, and you were harmed -- usually financially -- that might be a good ground for a defamation lawsuit. It's always a judgment call, depending on how much in damages you suffered and whether it was done with malice so that you could get an award of punitive damages if you prevail at trial.