I&#x27;m not a lawyer either, but I believe that with the exception of defamation --- getting back to &quot;be careful about the words &#x27;for cause&#x27;&quot; --- it&#x27;s not true that you legally owe an accused employee process before terminating them. I think what you were told was false, or that you misunderstood it. I don&#x27;t think that the victims of a false harassment claim are entitled to damages for their termination.<p>I would welcome expert correction here.<p>The slight research I&#x27;ve done here suggests that from a legal perspective, it&#x27;s safer to terminate than not, even if you&#x27;re concerned about the veracity of the accusation.<p>I&#x27;m going to repeat that we&#x27;re in firm agreement about not firing &quot;for cause&quot;. You don&#x27;t need cause to fire employees you&#x27;ve competently hired. It is <i>definitely</i> legally risky to provide negative references that include accusations of tortious behavior! Minimize drama, by all means.