Plaintiff, who was in training to be a deputy sheriff, was offered a letter of termination to sign after he was accused of circulating answers to an upcoming exam. The termination letter outlined how plaintiff’s behavior violated the sheriff’s office’s code of conduct. In response, plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging that the letter was defamatory and deprived him of occupational liberty. The district court granted summary judgment for the defendants and plaintiff appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that plaintiff could not establish that the termination letter was publicly disseminated, which is a required element of defamation, and that the claim against an individual defendant was barred by absolute immunity. (ROVNER and SCUDDER, concurring)
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Defamation