My question involves defamation in the state of: CT
I have had a rather tense working relationship with a black, male co-worker for about the past year. We got along fine at first until I needed to constantly bug him to meet a deadline and he kept "not getting around to" doing what needed to be done. When I confronted him about this (over a year ago), I did my best to be professional, ask if I wasn't being clear when I stated the deadline to him and was I somehow not communicating myself well to him. His blank icy stare told me he did not appreciate being told what to do and, the day of the deadline, he finally handed me what I needed.
Since that time, we have been civil with one another but, any time I am the supervisor of the day and we need to be in that uneven relationship (where I am technically "over" him), I have sensed that same cold irritation with me that I just tried to work around.
About a month ago, another associate approached me and wanted to give me a heads up that this co-worker had come to her and one other worker and said that I was using "racist language". They both told him in no uncertain terms they had never heard me use any such inappropriate language or be disrespectful to anyone of color or other minority group. When I was told this, my reaction was actually pretty calm, especially because my other worker friends had let this guy know they did not support his opinion of me. I also felt strongly that if he a serious issue with me, he needed to come to me directly and not take the coward's way out by calling me names behind my back.
Just a few days ago, things went full circle. I learned that, indeed a complaint had been filed against me for using "racist language". When I met with HR and another department director, I handled myself professionally, did not get defensive or accusatory, but I DID let them know that this co-worker had already outed me as a racist to TWO co-workers (none of which is true) and my expectation was that, if he a real problem with me, he would confront me in the same professional way I confronted him last year when I had an issue with him. Wrong. He did an end run and went to people above me, many of whom I have worked with for nearly ten years who know I am not comfortable with any kind of discrimination nor would I engage in it myself.
My question is: because he made this claims about my own character to my co-workers (calling me a racist) before he ever made a racial discrimination complaint against me, isn't he guilty of slandering me? I feel like I actually have more on him than he will ever have on me and that this whole thing will backfire, but am eager to know what others think.
Thank you.

