A now-former employee at a Michigan middle school allegedly choked a 14-year-old student with a shirt, in an incident captured on surveillance footage.
The teen’s parents are calling for charges against the now-former coach.
At worst, it’d be defamation, which is a civil tort. And only then, if a) it was in fact a false statement, b) fault amounting to negligence or worse (ie they didn’t do due diligence in fact checking, or it was intentionally false.) and c) some harm occurred.
They’re not a court. They can’t call anyone a criminal. Doing so is a criminal offense in itself.
Criminal offense?
No. It most certainly is not a criminal offense.
At worst, it’d be defamation, which is a civil tort. And only then, if a) it was in fact a false statement, b) fault amounting to negligence or worse (ie they didn’t do due diligence in fact checking, or it was intentionally false.) and c) some harm occurred.
If it’s reasonably true, it’s not defamation.