Unless I'm missing something, and tbf this article is extremely short and probably lacks some detail, this is a travesty. I don't know French law, of course, and far be it from me to declare US law better than any other nation's, but generally in defamation to recover damages a statement has to be shown to be false. In this case, it sounds like the accused pretty much admitted what Muller said (tweeted) was true. But he gets to recover anyway?!!? WTF? So now in France you can't tell something true about someone in case it is too painful for them? And you have to pay them tens of thousands of dollars? That is egregiously morally perverse, encouraging people to do and say horrible things and then sue anyone that talks about what they did if it causes the *wrongdoer* problems in the future? My god.
To my reading it seems that the problem was that Sandra Muller made remarks that to the lay person made it appear she and Eric Brion had a working relationship and it was in that context that the alleged sexual harassment took place. That appears to be untrue.
There is a fundamental difference between hitting on someone (even if by using inappropriate language to do so) in a social situation in which one might reasonably expect such a situation and sexual harassment in the workplace where one should reasonably expect that this behaviour not take place.
Is a cocktail party the sort of social situation in which one might reasonably expect to be told "You have big breasts. You are my type of woman. I will make you orgasm all night"?
To answer your question, no.
However, please note that I did not state there was anywhere one might reasonably expect to be told any specific thing. I stated one might reasonably expect to be hit on (
even if by using inappropriate language to do so) when in a social situation such as a cocktail party.
I do not in any way condone the language he chose to use. It was rude and inappropriate. A considerate, polite and respectful person should never choose such vulgar language to express themselves.
Is it
workplace sexual harassment that Sandra Muller was exposed to in her
job as her series of tweets would have led any reasonable person to conclude she was claiming? Considering she and Brion never had a working relationship, absolutely not.
Truth is only a defence for slander when what the defendant has claimed is actually true.