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MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Man alleges libel and wrongful termination following alleged false statement

BELLEVILLE – A Collinsville man claims he was wrongfully terminated after an alleged statement he made was misinterpreted, published and sent to the managers at his former employment.

Wesley P. Nicolussi filed the suit Feb. 4 in St. Clair County Court against Mike Likert. Sensient Technologies is named as a respondent in discovery. 

According to the complaint, Nicolussi has been an employee of Sensient for several years.

On Jan. 6, Likert allegedly made a false statement about the plaintiff, specifically that the plaintiff had made a threat of comment that he wished he had a gun to shoot people at his workplace. He also claims someone made an "unprivileged" publication of the statement to the managers at Sensient.

The lawsuit says that no reasonable person present at the time of the alleged statement could have confused anything the plaintiff said for a threat.

The plaintiff claims the publication of the alleged statement damaged his reputation and resulted in his termination on Jan. 14, the suit states.

As a result, the plaintiff claims he incurred lost wages and benefits and other sources of potential income.

He seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs and other relief as allowed by law. He also requests that the court order Sensient to respond to discovery.

He is represented by Thomas G. Maag of the Maag Law Firm LLC in Wood River.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-65

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