A recent federal case shows how a workplace investigation can flip fast—from harassment complaint to defamation claim. The employer followed the playbook and won. The accuser did not. TL;DR: A federal court in Ohio threw out a former Chief Legal Officer&r

squo;s race discrimination, retaliation, and contract claims after he was fired following a harassment investigation. The court found no defamation by the company or its president because they relied on counsel’s investigation and limited disclosure; it therefore did not need to decide the qualified-privilege issue. But the court refused to dismiss the defamation claim against the employee who accused him,