Memo

To: Dr. Swanson

From: Public Relations Department of Piney Woods Lumber Company (Lynda Bauelos)
Subject: Lawsuit filed aainst Piney Woods Lumber Company
Date: !une "#$ %&"'
(t )as been brou)t to our attention t)at one of our *ount Rea+is wor,ers$ *att *artine-$ )as
filed a lawsuit aainst t)e company. *artine- )as filed a suit of in+asion of pri+acy in t)e form
of publication of pri+ate facts. .)is lawsuit stems from t)e nature of t)e article publis)ed in t)e
company newspaper about *artine- in w)ic) )e belie+es t)at e/cess information was written in
t)e article t)at did not need to be di+uled. (n reards of rounds to sue$ *artine- belie+es )e
)as a 0ust cause to sue because of t)e personal information added t)at )ad not)in to do wit) t)e
rest of t)e article (alco)ol abuse). 1owe+er we are wor,in to dispro+e )is belief and t)at Piney
Woods Lumber Company was i+en full aut)ori-ation to print t)is story in t)e company
newspaper.
We are currently in conference wit) Bob Burruss and !im 1as,ins to diffuse t)e situation at
)and. .)is meetin will discuss ways to ,eep t)is from )appenin aain and ways to )andle to
situation differently. 2n e/ample would be to submit a draft of an article to w)oe+er is featured
in t)e article. (n doin so it will decrease t)e s)oc, and surprise of information printed. (n
addition$ t)is step will ma,e t)e company less susceptible to lawsuits on in+asion of pri+acy. 2s
for now$ t)e company is currently seein t)at t)e leal process will wor, so t)at t)ere will not be
too muc) to compensate for. (n doin so$ t)e wor,in defense for t)is case will be t)at *artine-
ranted aut)ori-ation to publis) t)e information and did not specify any information to be left
out of t)e article intentionally.
(n relation to t)is case in particular it seems t)at Burruss and 1as,ins mi)t not be )eld
accountable as indi+iduals but as part of t)e company as a w)ole. .)e reason for t)is is because
t)e article written was under a company based publication. .)is would mean t)at t)e company
can be )eld responsible for t)e publication and t)e fault will ultimately lie wit) t)e company.
3ne way for t)e outcome to )a+e not been as neati+e as it was$ would be to )a+e )ad *artine-
loo, o+er t)e article and appro+e t)e content. 2lt)ou) )e a+e )is consent to be used$ t)ere
were no specifics on w)at parts of )is life story were to be used. 4or future reference$ t)is will
be a step ta,en to assure t)at an incident li,e t)is will not )appen aain.
We will ,eep you updated wit) any furt)er information.
.)an, you for your time.