Can I sue for being wrongfully accused of theft?
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Can I sue for being wrongfully accused of theft?
I was wrongfully accused of stealing over 900. My boss called the cops so there was a cop present
and another employee as a witness. I broke the store policy and bought a couple scratch tickets while
working so it’s put down that I was fired for the lottery tickets. This was all the same day. On my way
home, I got a call from my boss saying she was sorry and it was a bank error and the bank had the
money the whole time. There was not a thorough investigation done before the police were contacted
and I was accused.
Asked on April 25, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Maine
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Based on what you write, you most likely cannot sue. IF the manager had intentionally or deliberately lied about you, there would be possible legal claims, such as defamation or malicous use of process, but they generally require knowledge on the other person's part of the falseness of what they are saying or doing, or at least unreasonable carelessness as to the truth. But if the bank made a mistake and reported the wrong information to your employer, your employer acted in good faith, on reasonable information, and would not be liable.
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