Public humiliation -- the act of embarrassing someone in the eyes of other people -- can be a criminal act if the victim experienced negative effects on his personal, financial or physical state. Public humiliation often is related to defamation, or the act of another person saying or writing something that hurts someone's reputation.
Libel
Libel -- a form of defamation -- can be traced using written and recorded documents, whether physical or electronic. Libelous documents include letters, newspapers, recorded radio broadcasts, blogs, emails and even text messages. You can file for libel if the statements released by the individual or an institution are false and have hurt your reputation. For example, if you're a teacher and a person blogged about your incompetence -- which resulted in your being fired -- you can file for libel against that person.
Slander
Slander -- commonly in the form of spoken language -- can comprise non-verbal acts like hand gestures. You can file for slander if the statement costs you financial loss. For example, if a person says to your employer that you are not fit for the job and your employer fires you because of that comment, you can file for slander. Filing for slander requires that the act occurred in public and witnesses can prove it happened.
You can file for slander even without financial loss. If someone falsely accuses you of being a criminal, alleges that you have a contagious disease, tries to ruin your profession or business using verbal remarks or accuses you of being an adulterer, you can file for slander.
Assault and Battery
Public humiliation can come in the form of someone physically hurting you or threatening to hurt you in front of others. You can't sue someone for the humiliation you feel because of a public beating or threat, but when this happens, you can file for assault and battery. Assault is the act of threatening a person that you will hurt her physically. Battery is the act of hurting that person. In some states, assault and battery are no longer distinguished as separate acts.
Filing a Complaint
When you file a defamation lawsuit, the first step is to prove the statements were false, after which you must prove that this statement harmed your reputation and financial status. You also must prove that the person who committed the act failed to verify what he said and did it just to harm your reputation. The filing process can be lengthy and can cost plenty of money in attorney fees. Even if you win, the compensation you receive may not be enough to pay the overall costs.
