Defamation 101 (not legal advice)
Defamation cannot be "illegal" as it is a civil and not criminal matter in the US. Defamation comes in two forms, slander (which is spoken) and libel (which is written). In court it really doesn't matter and both are generally referred to as
defamation. In order for a defamation claim to succeed it must be a statement of fact (rather than a statment of opinion) that is untrue and it must actually cause demonstratable harm with admissable evidence. The onus is on the plaintiff to prove the statement was false. In this case, it's based off something you said... and it's rather hard to prove you did not say something, especially when so many others claim you did.
Actual damages are determined by the harm directly caused. Punitive damages are determined on whether a person knew that the statement was false at the time it was uttered (called actual malice). If there was no actual malice, and the false statement was a mistake, there can be no punitive damages. Special conditions apply to public figures. If you have spoken out about a matter of public concern relating to these schools, that might make you a limited purpose public figure. If that's the case, you have to prove actual malice in addition to proving a statement false in order to even win the case. This is very, very, difficult as you would have to prove each and every statement made against you was made with at the very least a doubt into it's truth. If you cannot prove that doubt with admissible evidence, you lose.
In the US, winning a defamation case is VERY difficult, and should you decide to sue any member of this forum, I can recommend a few California attorneys who do not like programs at all, know of CEDU and would likely be willing to take this case on a pro-bono basis (or at the very least a contingent fee basis). Keep in mind that these guys are
mean motherfuckers and if you lose, you will likely be held responsible for *all* legal fees
and court costs incurred (thanks to California's anti-SLAPP legislation...). They will bleed you dry and laugh with their clients about it. You'll be in debt for the rest of your life, and don't expect any mercy. These particular lawyers have gone up against programs with top-dollar lawyers and have won hands down. If you feel like taking a risk that will likely blow up in your face is appropriate... have at it. Unless you can prove with admissible evidence that you, for example, did not say that you immolated a homeless man, you're SOL.
Considering that
multiple people have reported witnessing first hand your story of burning a homeless man, i'd recommend shutting the fuck up before a hypothetical defamation case turns into a murder investigation (murder has no statue of limitations). If you indeed did commit such a crime, the last thing you'd want is to make public record out of other people's testimony into the matter. If you sue people for defamation, they'll respond in kind with declarations from CEDU students who allegedly witnessed what you said. That's not something you want.
<-- not legal advice.
