Sindorf v. Jacron Sales Co., Inc.
Maryland Court of Special Appeals
341 A.2d 856 (Md. Spec. App. 1975)
Relevant factsFree
After Sindorf (plaintiff) left Jacron (defendant) for a competitor, Jacron VP Fridkis called the competitor's president, a close friend, ostensibly to check when Sindorf started working there but also falsely stated Sindorf had been fired (he had resigned) and suggested watching inventory closely due to missing stock; the trial court granted Jacron a directed verdict, finding the conversation conditionally privileged and no malice proven.
IssueFree
Whether an employer's qualified privilege to make defamatory statements about his former employee can be lost by making voluntary statements that are either not true or made for a purpose outside the scope of the privilege.