Airhart v. Union Pacific Railroad Co.

**Railroad Worker's Defamation Claims Dismissed** This case involved a Union Pacific Railroad employee named Airhart who sued the company for wrongful termination and also claimed the railroad made false statements about him (libel and slander) during his disciplinary hearing and in his termination letter. The court dismissed Airhart's defamation claims, though the wrongful termination claim appears to have proceeded separately. The judge ruled that statements made during railroad disciplinary proceedings are legally protected under Texas law. Because railroad discipline follows federal Railway Labor Act procedures, the court treated these hearings like court proceedings, where statements made are considered "absolutely privileged" - meaning they cannot be the basis for defamation lawsuits, even if the statements were false or harmful. **What This Means for Workers:** Railroad employees should understand that statements made by their employer during formal disciplinary hearings or in termination letters are legally protected from defamation claims in Texas. This makes it much harder to sue railroad companies for damaging statements made during the firing process. However, this protection is specific to railroad workers under federal labor law - employees in other industries may have different rights when employers make potentially defamatory statements about them.