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Defense company responds to defamation claims, says Meyer was more concerned with fame
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-- its new details now on the legal fight between the first living US marine in decades to receive the medal of honor.
And his former employer.
You'll recall Dakota -- receive the nation's highest honor in September 2 years after he saved 36.
People during an ambush in Afghanistan.
-- ignored command orders -- drove his humvee into enemy fire not once but five times he later retired from the military got a job of the major defense contractor there he reportedly emailed a manager about his frustrations with the company's sale of sniper Scopes to Pakistan and he later quit he applied for new job elsewhere.
He says he didn't get it.
Because his former manager said he was quote mentally unstable.
And suggested he had a drinking problem Rick Leventhal has some new information now on now with this -- legal case is all about live from our newsroom -- -- -- I've spoken to Dakota -- several times about this case but it was all off the record he says he won't engage in a war of words.
And it's holding himself to a higher standard but his former supervisor.
Has plenty to say as you've been mentioning.
Dakota Meyer of course was awarded the medal of honor in September for repeatedly braving enemy fire to save three dozen lives in Afghanistan in 2009 but.
This 23 year old former marine says his patriotism cost him a job.
Earlier this year Meyer began working for defense contact contractor BA systems and says he found out the company was planning to sell sophisticated thermal optic rifle scope to Pakistan.
He says he was concerned the Pakistan -- would get better gear than US service members and might use the Scopes to kill our troops now BA he says.
They were lower great sites and ultimately were not sold but -- still gave his notice in applied for a new job.
That's what Meyer says his former supervisor trashed him.
To a third party a government employee saying Meyer was mentally unstable problem -- drinker and not performing tasks assigned.
The Myers -- those comments cost him the new opportunity so he sued BA he.
And the supervisor for slander well that's supervisor former marine sniper Bobby McCray has filed a response.
Calling Myers defamation claims groundless.
Also saying he was a mentor.
And revealing that Myers suffered a traumatic brain injury while a war -- accusing Meyer are being distracted by his new found fame saying quote.
Mr.
-- was not focused on his job and the commitments he made but rather was more focused on his pending star status with his movie deals book deals and other commercial endeavors.
Myers attorney Tom Nesbitt says that's flat out false.
And inconsistent with who Dakota is meanwhile BA -- says it was not a party to this filing Greg calling it a marine on marine personality conflict saying.
That the company still.
Hopes to settle this lawsuit well and and that is probably the bottom line here he views his word against his word.
Rick Leventhal thanks very much let's get to our legal panel now defense attorney and Fox News legal analyst at camera holder and former prosecutor faith Jenkins.
Faith let me start -- the -- -- answer here.
This is getting uglier a mud fence on a rainy day does -- have settlement written all over you've got to get rid of this thing.
Right it absolutely had settlement written all over it we're talking about -- -- admire someone who is viewed as the great American hero who saved so many lives.
And now to hear these -- being said about cam.
That he is caught up in -- fame of of receiving this award.
Know what's amazing here is this young man at 21 years old.
Did something so heroic save the lives of 36 people and let him have his moment to wing joint that it's a huge honor for -- You know it's hammer out on the -- to say it to clients now and again.
Look you may be innocent you may not have done the things contained in this complaint but we gotta give it the Houdini treatment because it doesn't matter what you do or we do.
You're gonna come out looking bad what do you think about that.
No I I totally agree with you and what's.
Really tragic about this case aside from this being an American hero going through this but it's -- Experience belittling and parading by his supervisor while he was there I think this is a jealous supervisor.
And he -- possibly be fired and punished.
You know why is he filing these complaints that say that -- that that mr.
Myers caught up in the fame and the fortune and what -- right that it's totally irrelevant to keep the hand.
Still he argued camera -- thing.
This supervisor denies that he you know called Dakota Meyer mentally unstable yet he is filing.
He admits.
That he did referred to the traumatic brain.
Injury that was suffered which is he admitted by.
By Meyer is there a difference.
No I think that that's an admission right there had to say.
While what I really meant was that he does have a brain injury the two are so similar that I think that this company's looking at this says as an admission of guilt in a way.
Yet but you know what faith there's a couple of things when it comes to defamation one.
If what you are offering is not eight provable fact but an opinion it's protected speech and second of all truth.
Is a defense.
Right well you know what's interesting here -- he wanted to say he -- to his former employee here they Dakota Myers was mentally -- -- little.
That was really sort of a play on stereo type.
For so many of our soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan that they're somehow all suffering some from some type of the -- -- -- From another soul here.
Yes yes he does but he's an expert he can't gauge whether or not Dakota Myers is suffering from that disorder and I just based on bottom line you write a big check to maybe both of them just to make this thing go away.
He have to steadily get it out and of course this will never -- the camera -- You got to write a big check to somebody if you're BA he make the single what.
RE -- and it would be Dakota Meyer it would not be did the supervisor.
Supervisors should be punished or fired yet but remember he's a separate why he could file across simple complaint against BA AE I mean you gotta make -- both go away.
All right camera hold her -- Jenkins you guys are gonna stick around we have lots more to talk about.
