Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.
This passage falls under the criteria thats the statements is defamatory to the professor. Because of this I would consider the passage to be able to be sued for libel. If I were to change this passage I would wait until there was further progress in the situation until they name dropped the professor.
I would drop out completely the elaboration of what he did or his name to avoid libel.
Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it publish.
I think they also made a mistake in this passage because this accusation could be deemed offensive and they didn't really give the professor time to elaborate on to why he was innocent.
The whole passage could be deemed libel in the sense that all of the accusations that are being made are being printed, which is main criterion for something to be libel.
You're right -- this story is potentially libelous. That's why you shouldn't run it until Hart has filed a complaint.
ReplyDelete9/10