There is a hard-to-shake stigma when being publicly accused of something unsavory—and when the allegation goes viral, it can be worse than facing legal action. For companies, allegations of wrongdoing, particularly when it comes to sexual harassment or other complaints, can severely effect their reputations. Couple that with the ease in which electronic filings can be accessed by the media and spread online, and you have yourself a major public relations crisis in the making, says Erin Carney D’Angelo of DLA Piper.
In a recent post, D’Angelo shares some “What do we do now?” advice for ugly allegations that have gone viral:
- Go Public: “Legal conservatism be damned: go public with whatever will be disclosed anyway,” she says. For example, if the allegations were investigated and the harasser was punished, come forward with this information. “Vindicate the company. But don’t overstep—don’t deny when the facts are unknown,” D’Angelo says.
- Hands Off the Plaintiff: It doesn’t matter if the plaintiff recently had a poor performance review or did something goofy on Twitter—don’t bring it up. Trying to make your accuser less likable isn’t going to make the company any more likable.
- Be Process-Oriented: “There is value in emphasizing process,” D’Angelo says. Explain candidly company policies related to the matter, investigations that have been done on the issue to date and what next steps are on tap.
