Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania
Defamation of Character/ Slander
My college professor broke a school code of confidentiality and as a result I am suffering slander from the colleg community. My reputation is in serious jepordy. My college operates on a honor system of testing. I am being accused of cheating on an exam. I have an eye witness that puts me in a room alone. I have written homework,prior tests and study guides which explains my exam. The school operates a code of confidentiality that professors and students must apply. No one is to know of a pending investigation. I found out about the charges from my roommate who overheard the professor discussing it with someone else. The news spread all over the campus within one day. Now I get stares, glares and muffled conversations when I walk in a room. I am an honor student. I graduated high school 9th in my class. I am well respected here at my college. My advisor recomended me for a teachers assistant position. This is part of why this is so painful for me. I have worked very hare to become who I am. The school is putting the burden of proof onto me. The professor has no proof other than two exams are in her words ''Similar'' not exact just ''Similar''. Nine items to be exact. Do I have a case of Defamation of Charater?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Defamation of Character/ Slander
these facts, if uncontroverted, might make out a technical case of slander.
the loss to the reputational interest has to be amenable to valuation - like a businessman losing his biz or a doctor losing her practice due to an uttered falsity; a college student will not have economic losses so much as opportunity losses.
if you had to leave school and enter therapy and the statements all turn out to be false and a large audience had heard the defamatory comments your case would be better.
it could prove difficult to find a lawyer to take this matter on a contingent fee because the probability of winning plus likely valuation of damages does not entice. there may be a due process case if the university is a state actor.
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