Boone v. Activate Healthcare, LLC

CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedJune 11, 2021
Docket19-1007
StatusPublished

This text of Boone v. Activate Healthcare, LLC (Boone v. Activate Healthcare, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boone v. Activate Healthcare, LLC, (W. Va. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS OF WEST VIRGINIA

January 2021 Term FILED _______________ June 11, 2021 released at 3:00 p.m. EDYTHE NASH GAISER, CLERK No. 19-1007 SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS OF WEST VIRGINIA _______________

DIANA BOONE, Plaintiff Below, Petitioner

v.

ACTIVATE HEALTHCARE, LLC, Defendant Below, Respondent

____________________________________________________________

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Jackson County The Honorable Lora Dyer, Judge Civil Action No. 18-C-96

AFFIRMED

Submitted: March 2, 2021 Filed: June 11, 2021

Walt Auvil, Esq. J. David Fenwick, Esq. Kirk Auvil, Esq. Stephanie H. Daly, Esq. The Employment Law Center, PLLC GOODWIN & GOODWIN, LLP Parkersburg, West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia Counsel for Petitioner Counsel for Respondent

David A. Sims, Esq. LAW OFFICES OF DAVID A. SIMS, PLLC Vienna, West Virginia Counsel for Amici Curiae West Virginia Employment Lawyers Association and West Virginia Association for Justice JUSTICE WALKER delivered the Opinion of the Court. JUSTICE HUTCHISON and JUSTICE WOOTON dissent and reserve the right to file separate opinions. SYLLABUS BY THE COURT

1. “‘Appellate review of a circuit court’s order granting a motion to

dismiss a complaint is de novo.’ Syl. Pt. 2, State ex rel. McGraw v. Scott Runyan Pontiac-

Buick, Inc., 194 W.Va. 770, 461 S.E.2d 516 (1995).” Syllabus Point 1, Barber v. Camden

Clark Mem’l Hosp. Corp., 240 W. Va. 663, 815 S.E.2d 474 (2018).

2. “‘The trial court, in appraising the sufficiency of a complaint on a

Rule 12(b)(6) motion, should not dismiss the complaint unless it appears beyond doubt that

the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to

relief.’ Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957).” Syllabus

Point 3, Chapman v. Kane Transfer Co., Inc., 160 W. Va. 530, 236 S.E.2d 207 (1977).

3. One may be held liable for aiding and abetting a violation of the West

Virginia Human Rights Act, W. Va. Code §§ 5-11-1 to -20, if he or she knows that another

person’s conduct constitutes a violation of the act and gives substantial assistance or

encouragement to the other’s conduct.

i WALKER, Justice:

In 2018, Petitioner Diana Boone was working in the casting department at

Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC (Constellium) and requested a change in

her work duties to accommodate a medical condition. As part of that process, she was

directed to Activate Healthcare, LLC (Activate), Constellium’s on-site medical provider,

for a Physical Capacity Report (PCR). During a series of interactions with Ms. Boone,

Activate issued more than one PCR. Eventually, Constellium terminated Ms. Boone’s

employment based on one of the PCRs. Ms. Boone returned to work a few weeks later in

a different department at Constellium. She filed a grievance seeking lost wages for her

break in employment, but that grievance was denied. So, she sued Constellium, Activate,

and others alleging retaliation and discrimination in violation of the West Virginia Human

Rights Act (WVHRA). 1

In this appeal, we consider the sole issue of whether the Circuit Court of

Jackson County erred in dismissing Ms. Boone’s claims against Activate under Rule

12(b)(6) of the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. While this Court has recognized

that the WVHRA “shall be liberally construed to accomplish its objectives and

1 W. Va. Code §§ 5-11-1 to -20.

1 purposes[,]” 2 we agree with the circuit court that Ms. Boone’s factual allegations against

Activate were insufficient to establish a claim of aiding and abetting under the WVHRA.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In 2016, Ms. Boone was employed by Constellium, an aluminum

manufacturer in Ravenswood, West Virginia, that produces sheet and coil aluminum for

aerospace, transportation, defense, marine, and industrial uses. Constellium maintained an

on-site medical facility for its employees. Activate operated that facility and was

responsible for preparing PCRs for employees seeking worksite accommodations for

disabilities or other medical issues, among other things. Ms. Boone contends here, as she

did below, that Activate failed to prepare an accurate PCR for her, and in so doing, aided

and abetted Constellium in its decision to wrongfully terminate her employment in

violation of the WVHRA. Ms. Boone alleged the following facts in support of this

argument.

In 2017, Ms. Boone was working in Constellium’s casting department. As

part of her work, Ms. Boone was required to operate an overhead crane, suspended from a

warehouse ceiling, to move manufactured aluminum products. In the spring of 2018, two

supervisors informed Ms. Boone that she was required to begin training to operate the

overhead crane. She refused, referencing a prior negative experience she had while

2 Conrad v. ARA Szabo, 198 W. Va. 362, 376, 480 S.E.2d 801, 815 (1996) (citing W. Va. Code § 5-11-15).

2 operating the crane. She then obtained a temporary PCR excusing her from operating the

crane for a short time. Later, a supervisor asked whether Ms. Boone intended to seek a

permanent PCR, and she replied in the affirmative.

On June 25, 2018, Ms. Boone went to Activate to obtain the permanent PCR.

She presented a note from her personal physician that diagnosed her with acrophobia—a

fear of heights—and restricted her from “training in high positions[.]” Activate did not

take the physician’s note, but issued two successive PCRs restricting Ms. Boone from

working at specified heights. 3 Upon reviewing these PCRs, Sherry Gordon, who worked

in human resources, informed Ms. Boone that Constellium could not accommodate her and

had no work for her, as all of its positions required employees to be able to work at a certain

height. 4 She then sent Ms. Boone home. Later that day, Kevin Gaul, of the United

Steelworkers union, emailed Ms. Gordon, asking why Constellium denied Ms. Boone’s

accommodation request. In response, Ms. Gordon explained that the PCRs imposed height

restrictions that Constellium could not accommodate, so Ms. Boone “would not be able to

perform her job, thus she disqualified herself from her job[.]”

3 The first PCR restricted Ms. Boone from working at heights in excess of six feet, the second restricted her from working at heights in excess of ten feet. 4 Our review of the record does not reveal what that height is, but, considering the restrictions in the PCRs issued to Ms. Boone, it must presumably be above ten feet.

3 The following day, on June 26, 2018, Ms. Boone and Mr. Gaul requested a

new PCR from Activate that only restricted Ms. Boone from operating the overhead crane.

One of Activate’s physician assistants issued the requested PCR. From the record, it

appears neither Ms. Boone nor Mr. Gaul had any contact with Constellium’s human

resources department on June 26.

On June 27, 2018, union representatives met with Constellium CEO Lloyd

Stemple and Human Resources Director Joe Martucci to discuss Ms.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Conley v. Gibson
355 U.S. 41 (Supreme Court, 1957)
Harry F. Chaveriat, Jr. v. Williams Pipe Line Company
11 F.3d 1420 (Seventh Circuit, 1993)
Williamson v. Harden
585 S.E.2d 369 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2003)
Conrad v. Ara Szabo
480 S.E.2d 801 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1996)
Murphy v. Smallridge
468 S.E.2d 167 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1996)
Courtney v. Courtney
413 S.E.2d 418 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1991)
Fass v. Nowsco Well Service, Ltd.
350 S.E.2d 562 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1986)
Chapman v. Kane Transfer Co., Inc.
236 S.E.2d 207 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1977)
State Ex Rel. McGraw v. Scott Runyan Pontiac-Buick, Inc.
461 S.E.2d 516 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1995)
Tarr v. Ciasulli
853 A.2d 921 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2004)
Fiol v. Doellstedt
50 Cal. App. 4th 1318 (California Court of Appeal, 1996)
Johnson v. BE & K Construction Co.
718 F. Supp. 2d 988 (S.D. Iowa, 2010)
Ellison v. Plumbers & Steam Fitters Union Local 375
118 P.3d 1070 (Alaska Supreme Court, 2005)
Jill C. Barber v. Camden Clark Memorial Hospital Corp.
815 S.E.2d 474 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2018)
Strauss v. New York State Department of Education
26 A.D.3d 67 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2005)
Larry v. Marion Cnty. Coal Co.
302 F. Supp. 3d 763 (U.S. District Court, 2018)
Goldstein v. Peacemaker Props., LLC
828 S.E.2d 276 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2019)
Matthews v. Eichorn Motors, Inc.
800 N.W.2d 823 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Boone v. Activate Healthcare, LLC, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boone-v-activate-healthcare-llc-wva-2021.