Do the Wrongfully Accused have Any Rights?
Not directly. An employer is free to terminate an employee for no reason or even a bad reason, so long as it is not a reason prohibited by law. Discharging an employee based on a suspicion of improper behavior is not unlawful, even if the suspicion is not correct. Thus, the law does not prohibit an employer from taking the easy way out of a difficult situation by terminating the accused. However, if the real reason for the discharge is unlawful, covering up the real reason with a false accusation of harassment can lead to employer liability.
