There have already been problems with stipends . This means, that in the absence of a written contract, such as a union contract or a specific employment contract, all employment is presumed to be at will. That is, an employee can be terminated for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. If criminal records are a barrier to employment, there may be a way to have old records sealed . Come to a Workers Rights Clinic for more details.
Truth is a defense to defamation.
All of the above information covers employment situations within the District of Columbia only . Laws for other states may be and probably are different. This handout is intended to provide general information about workplace rights in D.C. Counsel should be consulted for legal advice.