BLACKLISTING OFFENSE; PENALTY.

(a) In this section, "blacklist" means to place on a book or list or publish the name of an employee of an individual, firm, company, or corporation who was discharged or who voluntarily left that employment, intending to prevent the employee from engaging in or securing employment of any kind with any other person, in either a public or a private capacity.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person:

(1) blacklists or causes to be blacklisted an employee; or

(2) conspires or contrives by correspondence or any other manner to prevent an employee discharged by a corporation, company, or individual from procuring employment.

(c) An offense under this section is punishable by:

(1) a fine of not less than $50 or more than $250;

(2) imprisonment in jail for not less than 30 days or more than 90 days; or

(3) both the fine and imprisonment.

(d) This section may not be held to prohibit a corporation, company, or individual from giving, on application from a discharged employee or a person desiring to employ the employee, a written truthful statement of the reason for the discharge. The written statement may not be used as the cause for a civil or criminal action for libel against the person who furnishes the statement.