Opinion ID: 159537
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Liberty Interest in Name and Reputation

Text: 33 We next address Dr. Lighton's contention Dr. Ehleringer's statements affected his liberty interest in his good name and reputation. 12 For the purpose of evaluating Dr. Lighton's argument, we assume he possessed a liberty interest in his continued employment at the University. However, in order to succeed, Dr. Lighton must show how Dr. Ehleringer infringed that interest. See Workman v. Jordan, 32 F.3d 475, 481 (10th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, 514 U.S. 1015 (1995). First, Dr. Lighton must show Dr. Ehleringer's statements impugned his good name, reputation, honor or integrity. Id. Second, Dr. Ehleringer's statements must have been false. Id. Third, his statements must have occurred in the course of terminating Dr. Lighton or must have foreclosed other employment opportunities. Id. And finally, his statements must have been published. Id. We have said these four elements are not disjunctive i.e., all four elements must be satisfied to demonstrate deprivation of Dr. Lighton's liberty interest. Id. 34 In this case, Dr. Ehleringer informed the biology department's executive committee a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint had been filed against the department, and later advised them of the withdrawal of that complaint. We find nothing to show Dr. Ehleringer's statements in anyway impugned Dr. Lighton's good name, reputation, honor, or integrity. This alone is sufficient reason to conclude no violation of Dr. Lighton's liberty interest occurred. Moreover, as the trial court found, nothing shows Dr. Ehleringer made untruthful statements about Dr. Lighton, or that his statements caused him to resign. We also reject Dr. Lighton's allegations Dr. Ehleringer's speech caused him to lose employment opportunities elsewhere for the reasons stated, and because we find Dr. Lighton's alleged loss of future employment too speculative and intangible to constitute a deprivation of a liberty interest. See Workman, 32 F.3d at 481. Under the circumstances presented, we hold Dr. Ehleringer clearly did not violate Dr. Lighton's liberty interest, and therefore, no due process violation occurred.