Raymond Espinosa v. Aaron's Rents, Inc.

OPINION

Jane Bland, Justice

In this employment-related' case, a former employee appeals the trial court’s summary judgment on the employee’s suit for defamation and related claims against his former employer. Raymond Espinosa worked as a manager at the Monroe, Texas store of Aaron’s Rents, Inc. Aaron’s leases and sells home furnishings, appliances, and electronics.

A month after Espinosa left employment with Aaron’s, the store’s personnel discovered that merchandise was missing from its inventory. Aaron’s linked fraudulent rental records' for part of that inventory to Espinosa’s employee…