Opinion ID: 3051635
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Occasion for the Communication

Text: [8] “The defendant has the initial burden of showing the allegedly defamatory statement was made on a privileged occasion . . . .” Kashian v. Harriman, 98 Cal. App. 4th 892, 915 (2002). We conclude that the defendants have carried this initial burden. Ms. Roman communicated the allegedly libelous statements to employees of AT&T and others involved with transferring the employees to a new vendor. She shared a business and organizational relationship with the recipients. Therefore, the privilege extends to these relationships. The plaintiffs argue, however, that Ms. Roman’s communications exceeded the scope of the privilege. The privilege “may be lost if the defendant abuses the privilege by excessive publication or the inclusion of immaterial matter which have no bearing upon the interest sought to be protected . . . .” Gardner v. Shasta County, No. 2:06-CV-0106, 2007 WL SDV/ACCI, INC. v. AT&T CORP. 3829 3243847, at  (E.D. Cal. Nov. 1, 2007) (quoting Deaile v. Gen. Tel. Co., 40 Cal. App. 3d 841, 847 (1974)). “[T]o be protected, the communication must be one reasonably calculated to further [the common] interest.” Cuenca v. Safeway S.F. Employees Fed. Credit Union, 180 Cal. App. 3d 985, 995 (1986) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). [9] The plaintiffs argue that Ms. Roman’s communications fell outside the scope of the privilege because the recipients “had no legitimate common interest in SDV/ACCI’s ‘financial difficulties.’ ” Perhaps this is so insofar as the “financial difficulties” phrase was not strictly necessary to the message that Ms. Roman needed to convey, namely, that employees needed to be transferred to a new vendor. The plaintiffs’ approach, however, places too drastic a restraint on the scope of the common interest privilege, a scope that is “not capable of precise or categorical definition.” Kashian, 98 Cal. App. 4th at 914. The standard is one of reasonableness, not of necessity. See Cuenca, 180 Cal. App. 3d at 995. Even putting aside Ms. Roman’s asserted desire to convey a sense of urgency, which is in dispute, the “financial difficulties” phrase still has relevance to the underlying communication. Conceivably, it provides the recipients with an understanding of why they have been assigned a difficult task. It puts to rest any urge to blame Ms. Roman or AT&T for the unwelcome news. It also undermines any hope of challenging the order; these “financial difficulties” make the managers’ task imminent and unavoidable. Therefore, the common interest privilege is applicable on its face to the “financial difficulties” language.