two short-answer question

two short-answer question

1. Read this article by Steve Miletich, Kashma Sawant sued for defamation by 2 Seattle officers who fatally shot Che Taylor, Seattle Times (August 22, 2017). http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/ksh… Answer the following questions:

1). What is defamation per se and how does it apply to this case?

2). What are the damages in a defamation per se case?

3). What defenses could the Council member assert?

4). Does it make a difference that the Council member is a public figure?

2. You work for a public organization. You love your job and boss. You served on several hiring committees and have been told point blank by various administrators that to achieve diversity you need to hire non-white candidates. You’ve been told that the organization has to hire somebody younger than 42.

a. Are these dire directives legal?

b. What if the job announcement states “open until filled.” Is there anything illegal about not filling the job until you find a candidate that meets your company’s diversity goals?

c. What if you do hire a candidate who is younger and less experienced than a white-male applicant. Would the white-male applicant have a claim?

d. What if the last person you hired was white-male and over 40?

Solution Preview

Defamation per se will involve false statements which are quite damaging and defamatory. For a false statement to be considered as defamation per se, it needs to indicate that the person was involved in criminal activity. In light of the case which features Kashma Sawant being sued by the two Seattle officers for defamation, the Council member did make false statements that defamed the officers.

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