Dist. Ct. did not err in granting defendants-co-workers’ motion for summary judgment in action alleging that defendants tortiously interfered with plaintiff’s at-will employment and engineered his termination by publishing defamatory statements about his work conduct to board of directors. Four allegedly false statements at heart of case (i.e., that plaintiff coerced his co-workers, that co-workers filed complaints against plaintiff, that supervisor gave inaccurate description of plaintiff’s conduct during work performance improvement plan, and that third-party had spoken to 40 individuals who believed that plaintiff was “problem” employee) were either true or substantially true. As such, plaintiff could not prevail under Wisc. law on instant claim regardless of motives defendants may have had at time they made such statements.
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Tortious Interference with Contract