BAKER v. GUARDIAN LIFE INS. CO. OF AMERICA

Since plaintiff's causes of actions are legally insufficient, we affirm the dismissal thereof. Plaintiff's cause of action for defamation is an improper attempt to circumvent the rule that an at-will employee has no cause of action for wrongful discharge ( see Ranieri v. Lawlor, 211 AD2d 601). As an at-will employee, plaintiff can have no cause of action based on a coemployee's alleged tortious interference with his employment ( see Thawley v. Turtell, 289 AD2d 169). Nor does plaintiff identify any specific employment or business relationship that he was prevented from entering into as a result of defendants' interference, or adequately allege that defendants acted with the sole purpose of harming him, such as would support a claim for tortious interference with prospective employment or business relations ( see Schoettle v. Taylor, 282 AD2d 411).