Michael A. Wartell v. Lawrence H. Lee

MATHIAS, Judge.

Dr. Michael Wartell (“Wartell”), former Chancellor of Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne (“IPFW”), filed a complaint in Allen Superior Court against Lawrence Lee (“Lee”), alleging among other claims, defamation per se because Lee sent a private letter to then-Purdue president Dr. France Cordova (“Cordova”) urging her to deny Wartell’s request for an exception to Purdue’s retirement policy. The trial court subsequently granted Lee’s motion for partial summary judgment on the claim of defamation per se. Wartell now appeals and argues that the trial court erred in…