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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    1

    Question Are Personal Emails Protected?

    My question involves defamation in the state of: Wisconsin
    I have exchanged many emails with the pastor of my church. I would like to share his words (and my comments about them) with the leaders of my church. This action will likely force his resignation and may prevent him from future positions as a pastor in other churches. Thus my sharing may have a significant impact on his future wage earning capabilities. Are his original emails, addressed solely to me, private (i.e., could I be held libel for sharing them) or can I legally make them public in a very limited way (by sharing them with our leaderhip)?

    He has not done anything illegal; his offense is simply behavior unbecoming and inappropriate for a church leader.

    If the legal answer is that they are can be shared, how about etiquitte?

    When I search for privacy of email, I get thousands of hits about privacy issues related to "big brother", and thus have had a hard time finding anything about individual email privacy.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Toledo, OH
    Posts
    16,307

    Default Re: Are Personal Emails Protected?

    Are his original emails, addressed solely to me, private
    Only if you want them to be. It's considered bad form to share e-mail content, but it's not illegal unless you're sharing confidential and proprietary company information.

    A good rule of thumb is to never, ever e-mail or post anything you would not be comfortable with your mother reading. (Sounds like your pastor didn't do that.)
    If the legal answer is that they are can be shared, how about etiquitte?
    Reproducing the e-mails in the church newsletter? Very tacky. Quietly meeting with church leadership (just the one or two main decision makers, even) and never discussing it outside of that meeting? Better.

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