Q: Does this claim to sue for defamation of character have any merit?
Hello! My name is Taylor, I had a question regarding Facebook Groups. I am one of the administrators for a group where people sell lapel pins. We have a strict rule against using other people's art as your own and making a profit off it. One girl did just that, so we banned her from the group. Before she was kicked, she received a lot of negativity from group members about the fact she used this stolen art. Now she is saying she got permission from the artist, but does not legally have to show us, and wants to sue for defamation of character because being kicked out of the group is hurting her business. She also wants to sue us 11 administrators for the cyber bullying she received from the members in the group (not including any of us). We have a no negativity policy in the group as well, and when we see others being rude they will get kicked out right away. I was wondering if these claims have any merit, and if us 11 administrators have anything legally to worry about. Thank you!
A: Yes, it might. That would depend upon the actual facts. You cannot say something to others about someone, without knowing whether it is true or false. You at least had the obligation here to find out whether it was stolen art or not. I suggest that you go speak with a local civil litigator about this and take copies of all relevant items. When you need an attorney, the best thing to do is not post something on the internet that might tend to incriminate yourself, but to actually go see an attorney.
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