Why are there laws against harassment when there are no laws against lying and deceiving in general?
There are laws against lying and deceiving. Many kinds of fraud (lying or deceiving) are criminally illegal. Breaking contracts or entering into fraudulent contracts can lead to civil liability. Slander, defamation and libel are all actionable to some degree or another. “Harassment” isn’t illegal as such – but it can create civil liability of employers allow harassing behaviour to occur. Depending on the state, the harassment may include lying and deceiving. It’s not “illegal” to lie to your neighbor about whether or not you are planning to mow the lawn on Tuesday, but it might be illegal to lie to your neighbor about not having poisonous gas clouds coming out from your exhaust vents on the garage – if he breathes them and becomes sick. Generally things that don’t actually “harm” people aren’t illegal and may not create civil liability. If you lied to me about being 21, it probably wouldn’t matter – but if you lied to the bartender to get beer – that might actually be illegal. The empl
