Comments Made by Dean and Assistant Dean in Their Professional Capacities Protected by a Qualified Privilege

The Second Department determined comments made about plaintiff-coach by the dean and assistant dean of the school where plaintiff worked were protected by a qualified privilege:

“Generally, a statement is subject to a qualified privilege when it is fairly made by a person in the discharge of some public or private duty, legal or moral, or in the conduct of his [or her] own affairs, in a matter where his interest is concerned” … . The defendants demonstrated that the statements at issue made by [defendants] in their official capacities as Dean and Assistant Dean of the School, respectively, and that the persons to whom they made the statements, had corresponding interests in the subject matter of the statements … .  Melious v Besignano, 2015 NY Slip Op 01247, 2nd Dept 2-11-15