Study each of the following cases carefully. Briefly state the principle of law and your decision.
Defamation At a special meeting, the board of directors of Family Federal Savings Loan Association asked Newton, its president, manager, and director, to resign. He did so. Shortly thereafter, a reporter for the Oregon Statesman talked about Newton’s resignation with one of the directors. The very next day, the paper published an article that stated, “The board of directors of the six-branch Family Federal Savings Loan Association has forced Thomas Newton out of his position as the association’s president, charging that he is ‘administratively incapable.’ ” Newton thereupon sued the association and its individual directors for defamation. When a jury awarded him damages, the directors appealed on the ground that the quoted language was not capable of a defamatory meaning. Will the directors succeed in overturning the judgment? [ Newton v. Family FS L Association, 616 P.2d 1213 (Oregon)]