Smith v. Atkins
Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit
622 So. 2d 795 (La. App. 1993)
Relevant factsFree
Law professor Curklin Atkins (defendant) called his student Theresa Smith (plaintiff) a slut during class, causing the incident to spread around the school; classmates testified they stopped associating with Smith for fear of guilt by association, and one testified he would not hire or partner with her afterward given the incident. The trial court found Atkins liable and awarded $1,500, and Smith appealed the damages as too low.
IssueFree
Whether words are defamatory per se if they have the tendency to injure a person in his or her occupation or reputation.