# How do internships handle defamatory rumors?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 12, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667 "2012-05-12T03:21:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![abluetile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@abluetile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abluetile)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667/1 "2012-05-12T03:21:21Z")

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I fear that someone who discovered, despite my efforts, where I will intern will send them a false rumor about me. This person can claim some familiarity with me (coinhabitant).

Because I’m an expendable unpaid intern, will the internship not bother investigating and automatically dismiss me on the basis of a false rumor?

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667/2 "2012-05-12T03:48:12Z")

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_ **IMHO** _ it will absolutely vary by employer–by both company policy and personal discretion.

Pics or it didn’t get reported for a possible forum change.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667/3 "2012-05-12T04:30:56Z")

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There’s no rule for this. The business may ask you about it, if it happens. You can let them know what’s going on. Or they won’t ask you, and you get no internship, if it happens. If it happens, and you are denied the internship as a result, and you can prove who sent this info, you can sue.

But you aren’t giving any details. I expect nothing will happen. This past cohabitant just wanted to rattle you and won’t actually do anything. Given the kind of rumor likely to be used in this circumstance, the info wouldn’t be believed. But you could lose the internship because they don’t want somebody with a personal life in turmoil.

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667/4 "2012-05-12T04:58:57Z")

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I did a lot of hiring of interns, part- and full-time employees. If I got a letter/email from a “coin habitant”, I’d ignore it. The more strident or vengeful, the less weight I would give it.

(Now, if it was over-the-top whacky, the entire office might end up laughing at its author…)

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-internships-handle-defamatory-rumors/621667/5 "2012-05-14T03:26:17Z")

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Most reputable companies don’t pay attention to unsubstantiated rumors from unknown individuals.

However, I would let your “coinhabitant” know that the only thing they are doing is setting themselves up for a potantial libel or demfamation suit.