Q: If I was falsely accused of illegal activity and slandered upon is that illegal?
I rented a house from a company. Upon check in the woman discriminated against me because I had teenage kids. She then falsely accused me of doing illegal activity and trashing that house, in which I had video proof did not take place. It was prior tenants that did it the weekend before because a police report was filed, which she would have known if she would have checked before accusing me of providing drugs and alcohol to underage kids. I am a teacher and by her making those statements could have put my job in danger. I just wanted to know if there was anyway to see that she does not do anyone else like this.
A:
As for the potential housing discrimination claim, you didn't provide enough information for anyone to try to point you in the right direction.
As for the potential defamation ("libel" if written/"slander" if spoken) claim, whether or not you could win would depend on a lot of specific factors. For example: Did the person make the statement to a third party (someone other than you)? Did she make the statement to law enforcement for the purpose of reporting potentially illegal activity? Has the statement actually harmed you or your reputation, including your professional reputation? If not, how reasonable is it to assume that the statement will harm you or your reputation, including your professional reputation?
You might consider consulting with an attorney about your potential housing discrimination claim and your potential discrimination claim. But keep in mind that the same attorney might not be able to help you with both issues.
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