Howard v. Chimps, Inc.

284 P.3d 1181, 251 Or. App. 636, 2012 WL 3195145, 2012 Ore. App. LEXIS 986
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedAugust 8, 2012
Docket09CV0448MA; A145765
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 284 P.3d 1181 (Howard v. Chimps, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howard v. Chimps, Inc., 284 P.3d 1181, 251 Or. App. 636, 2012 WL 3195145, 2012 Ore. App. LEXIS 986 (Or. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

HADLOCK, J.

Plaintiff was an intern at defendant’s chimpanzee sanctuary. Before starting her internship, plaintiff signed a waiver releasing defendant from liability for “all claims for death, personal injury, or property damage” arising out of her participation at the sanctuary, including liability arising from negligence or carelessness. Ten days after plaintiff started her internship, a chimpanzee attacked and injured her while she was cleaning a cage. Plaintiff subsequently brought this action, alleging claims for negligence and strict liability. Soon after defendant filed its answer, plaintiff moved for partial summary judgment, arguing that the release was not enforceable. The trial court denied the motion. Defendant subsequently moved for summary judgment on the ground that the release precluded plaintiff’s claims. The court granted defendant’s motion, and plaintiff appeals. On review for errors of law, we affirm.

The material facts are not in dispute. Defendant operates a wildlife sanctuary that provides refuge for chimpanzees that have come from places like roadside zoos and the entertainment industry. The sanctuary is located on a horse ranch owned by defendant’s president, Day, near Bend. The sanctuary is not open to the public, but defendant offers an internship program for people interested in careers in animal conservation, education, or advocacy. According to the manual that defendant provides its interns, the interns were expected to pay $50 per week to cover “materials, curriculum, training, and lodging” unless they were local residents.

Defendant maintains policies designed to shield the sanctuary from scrutiny. For example, defendant’s intern manual includes the following nondisclosure agreement:

“[Defendant’s] interns agree that they will not discuss or repeat what they have heard or seen regarding the inner workings of [defendant] nor disclose or use any of [defendant’s] confidential information, either during or after their internship. It is difficult for people outside of the sanctuary to understand certain issues (e.g. injuries and escapes). It spreads gossip that inevitably will create a distorted representation of the animals and the sanctuary. For example, if a chimp injures you or another it [639]*639is obviously the result of human error. Chimpanzees have extreme upper-body strength, speed and agility. They are intelligent, manipulative and naturally unpredictable. These attributes are compounded when placed in a captive situation; therefore, disregarding the boundaries between you and the chimp can cause bodily harm.”

In addition, defendant has a training manual that specifies that only Day, defendant’s executive manager, and the ranch manager are authorized to call 9-1-1 and that such calls are to be made only in life-threatening situations. Day acknowledged that the restriction on calling 9-1-1 was intended to avoid “receiving] any unnecessary scrutiny over safety concerns.”

In 2008, plaintiff was an anthropology student in college and was interested in working with primates. She applied for, and was accepted into, defendant’s internship program. After accepting her application, defendant sent plaintiff a copy of the intern manual, which describes the interns’ responsibilities and defendant’s policies.1 Section 2.4 states that the manual “is not a contract of employment of any type between [defendant] and the intern. The relationship between [defendant] and all of its interns can be terminated at any time by [defendant] without advance notice and without any requirement of cause.”

The manual includes several provisions that are particularly important to this case. The first is a liability waiver to be signed by the intern:

“Waiver and Release of Liability for [defendant],
“1. I understand that my execution of this Waiver and Release is a prerequisite for coming to the sanctuary. I further understand that there are risks and dangers inherent for being at the sanctuary.
“2. I understand that in order to be allowed to be around the chimpanzees, big cats, and on the sanctuary I agree to assume all risks and to release and hold harmless [640]*640[defendant] and their officers, employees, volunteers, and interns.
“3. I intend by this Waiver and Release to release, in advance, and to waive my rights and discharge all of the persons and entities mentioned above, from any and all claims for death, personal injury, or property damage which I may have, or which may hereafter accrue to me as a result of my participation on the sanctuary, even though this liability may arise from negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons or entities being released, from dangerous or defective property, or equipment owned, maintained or controlled by them or because of their possible liability without fault. I understand and agree that this Waiver and Release is binding.
“4. I have carefully read this Waiver and Release and fully understand its contents. If I am under 18 years of age, my parent or legal guardian has completely reviewed this Waiver and Release, understands and consents to its terms, and authorizes my participation by his/her signature below. I am aware that this is a RELEASE OF LIABILITY and a contract between me and the persons and entities mentioned above and I sign of my own free will.”

(Uppercase in original.)

Also significant is a disclaimer that appears at the bottom of every page in the manual, including the page on which the release is printed: “[Defendant,] at its option, may change, delete, suspend or discontinue parts or the policy in its entirety, at any time without prior notice. In the event of a policy change, employees will be notified. Any such action shall apply to existing as well as to future employees.” Section 2.8 of the manual similarly states that defendant “reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate any of the policies, procedures, and/or benefits described in the manual with or without prior notice to interns.” Section 8 reiterates defendant’s right to change its policies in a “general acknowledgment” to be signed by the intern:

“I know that [defendant’s] company policies and other related documents do not form a contract of employment and are not a guarantee by [defendant] of the conditions and benefits that are described within them. Nevertheless, [641]*641the provisions of such policies are incorporated into the acknowledgment, and I agree that I shall abide by its provisions.
“I also am aware that [defendant], at any time, may on reasonable notice, change, add to, or delete from the provisions of the company policies.”

After reading the manual, plaintiff spoke with defendant’s executive director, Muellner, on the telephone. Muellner told plaintiff that she “would never have physical contact with the chimpanzees.” When plaintiff arrived at the sanctuary to begin her internship, another employee, Ross, also assured her that there would be no contact between interns and chimpanzees. Ross told plaintiff that the doors separating chimpanzees and interns would never be unlocked and that, even if a chimpanzee were to escape, it would not be “out to hurt people,” but would be intent only on exploring its new-found territory.

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Bluebook (online)
284 P.3d 1181, 251 Or. App. 636, 2012 WL 3195145, 2012 Ore. App. LEXIS 986, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howard-v-chimps-inc-orctapp-2012.