Can I be sued for libel/slander if I post a webpage about why students shouldn't come to my university?

[LivinLaVivaPollo]

I'm currently living in a horrible housing situation, but no one seems to be taking action. I reported my housemates to the coordinator for residential education for excessive noise, partying, drinking, drug abuse, and racial insensitivity. She wanted to setup MEDIATION and then talk through this. I told her that housing should have foreseen this coming, by putting together people that have two different reasons for being here at school, and that TALKING to them about this wasn't going to change their behavior, as I have told them many times if they persist with this all of this, I would tell someone. The CRE insisted on mediation and told me that's all she could do, so I setup a meeting to talk with someone higher than her, the Chief Administrative Officer. He told me he understood my situation and that he would get me out of there as soon as possible. I'm scheduled to move, but now I'm hearing today that my roommates have already heard of me wanting to move out, so one of them is having her boyfriend move in. WTF?? I have to move, pay more, deal with all this crap, and their punishment is to get one of their boyfriends to move in with them? That's ridiculous. Upon hearing of my reporting them, they had their guy friends try to run me over in their car. I would have filed a police report, but it seems like everyone doesn't believe me, or think I am blowing this out of proportion.


SO...... I'm not going to pursue this any longer, just close my mouth and move out. But I am going to make a webpage about this, documenting my struggles in trying to get help and no one helping, hopefully to sway potential high school seniors away from this school. I can only hurt them this way. Will I get in trouble for this? Anyone ever deal with this?


What makes me mad is that I could have gone to a bunch of other schools, but I chose this one because it was the most conveniant for me.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: LivinLaVivaPollo
I can only hurt them this way. Will I get in trouble for this? Anyone ever deal with this?

Why would you choose to harbor resentment. Take the appropriate steps to rectify the situation and move on.

 

[BDawg]

IANAL, but I would guess that as long as you don't lie, you're okay.

 

[LivinLaVivaPollo]

I'm not aiming to hurt my housemates, but the administration in general for not quelling this situation earlier. I told them at the beginning of the year that this wasn't working out and that I wanted to move out, all they did was say we should talk about it. Nothing is getting done. I refuse to have to pay more because I'm the victim.

 

This is a tough situation - I have been in a similar one (drug dealing roommate in the dorms). Basically, here's your story:

When you signed a contract for your university's housing, you agreed to abide by the college's conflict mediation process. They agree to provide you with a comfortable living situation IF you follow their procedures. It's a two way street. Looks like if you want to have a good resolution to this process, you'll have to go through mediation no matter what.

I'm not sure about your school, but at the U of M, emergency removal is only deemed necessary when a roommate is dangerous to the roommate or those in the community. That seems out of the question now.

As for running you over in your car, I think the stupidest thing you could have done is not file a police report. The officer won't laugh at you, as long as you have a straight story and a good reason for calling them. It sounds like you do have a good situation. A police report, when shown to housing authorities, would make them a little more eager to take action.

Threaten legal action, if you think it's justified. If not, then it looks like you're out of luck.

 

[Evadman]

it is only libel/slander if it is untrue.

 

[LivinLaVivaPollo]

The problem with filing a police report is that I would be going along with the whole notion that I am blowing this out of proportion. However, is it too late?

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: LivinLaVivaPollo
The problem with filing a police report is that I would be going along with the whole notion that I am blowing this out of proportion. However, is it too late?

Call the police and find out, but I would so that it is not too late.

Like Evadman said, things that you write or say are not libel or slander if they are true.

 

[isekii]

I say you're handling it pretty well~

if one of them tried to run me over with their car~ ..

my Bat would be at their head~ ~ of course i would have a mask on~ but I'd teach them and their car a lesson~

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: Evadman
it is only libel/slander if it is untrue.

exactly

 

[gopunk]

don't you have "quiet floors" or something? or are you already on one....

and what does "racial insensitivity" consist of?

 

[BD2003]

Apparently not. StonyBrookSucks.com

 

[LivinLaVivaPollo]

gopunk,

Unfortunately, here at UCSC, there are no "quiet-floors" in the on campus apartment facilities. They also don't pair you up very well. I put down non smoking roommates, but I have one that is a chain smoker. Packs and packs a day.

to everyone else,

It's not libel/slander eh? Hmm... I guess that's good, I might actually go through with the webpage. What sucks is that the director of admissions is a really good friend of mine, and this webpage may end up hurting him in the end, more so than my respective college, since we are on the oxford college system. I may actually go and seek legal action because of how poorly this situation has been handled. Are there any lawyers that deal with students vs. university besides the Supreme Court?

 

[Soybomb]

Actually it couldn't be slander anyway since thats spoken defamation. If its true its not libel either. But I'd worry more about getting the situation resolved and moving on than making a webpage that very few people would see. At least thats my pessimistic view

 

[Vegito]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Apparently not. <a class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.stonybrooksucks.com" target=blank>StonyBrookSucks.com</A>

That is so funny

I went to SB between 95 - 99. I did a lot of stuff to the school because it sux
I dont want to say what but I was the cause of security improvement..

I hate sb so much that I rather donate money to any other school

and its funny to see the pay roll because now i make triple of what gary mis makes in a year..

sweet

EDIT: whats funny is now I see I make double of that old hag nancy duffrin at age 26

even sweeter

 

[Vegito]

i like how sb sucked

check this one out

http://www.stonedbrook.com/

these ass wipes had the nerve to send me a happy bday card..

i was like get this crap out of here

 

[everman]

You can put whatever info you wan on it as long as it's the truth (helps your case too if you can back it up with something like paperwork).

 

[lowtech1]

Part of college education is to learn to live & work with your peers. You must learn to overcome your differences to function in the working environment by diplomatic means or move out and have your own place.

 

[axelfox]

Ah, other people who hate their school! Graduate in 2002 with a bad taste in my mouth. Administration was a joke. From the grapevine, I heard the school was STINGY with any money they got. I brought up a concern to the president, said she'd look into it, never heard anything back.

Vowed never to give money to them, except the BSAD dept.

So, who else is bitter?

 

Freedom of speech.

 

[WalMart1564]

well walmartsucks.com is gone now

 

[Orsorum]

So you're living in a dorm, i take it?

 

[ElFenix]

it looks like the housing dept is the part that sucks, so keep it about them. can you write into your school paper about this?

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
it looks like the housing dept is the part that sucks, so keep it about them. can you write into your school paper about this?

Whoever your CRE (don't know what the term means) needs to grow a pair, or else you need to go over his/her head (which it looks like you tried to do). There should be an Area Coordinator (if you have different housing areas), or some sort of higher up in that sense... if not, then contact the vice president for student affairs and make your case and the response of the admin at the lower level known. If that doesn't work, try your student paper and maybe even the city paper (if it's a smaller city). Any undue attention in that regard should guarantee a response.

 

[CallTheFBI]

Originally posted by: LivinLaVivaPollo
I'm currently living in a horrible housing situation, but no one seems to be taking action. I reported my housemates to the coordinator for residential education for excessive noise, partying, drinking, drug abuse, and racial insensitivity.

This kind of behavior surprises you in a college dorm?