Peachtree City Council shoots down 'defamation resolution'

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The so-called “defamation resolution” which would have allowed representatives of the city of Peachtree City to sue people who defamed them has been shot down.

One man, like others at a meeting on Thursday, sounded off about the resolution.

“If you agree with this you’re a fool and you don’t need to be sitting up there,” he said.

He was part of the crowd at Peachtree City council headquarters.

People lined up to push back against the resolution. It reads in part, “The city of Peachtree City shall fund legal action on the part of any elected official, appointed official, or employee who has been defamed in a public media outlet.”

“You get to decide whether you’ve been defamed or not and you want to use our money taxpayer money to sue us, we might impoverish us,” said another Peachtree City resident.

Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and the Peachtree City Council took up the issue after listening to the concerns of about 25 constituents. The mayor said the resolution was mostly meant to legally protect employees and volunteers like members of commissions or even volunteer firefighters. But in the end, the council voted unanimously to kill the resolution.

“I think it’s the right outcome I work for the citizens, the intent was very pure but it wasn’t written correctly I’ve been told and so the citizens have spoken and we move on,” said Mayor Fleisch.

She said her hopes were that the people who criticize the policies, employees, and volunteers with Peachtree City do it fairly without spreading lies.