Laschinski T. Emerson v. Oak Ridge Research, Inc. a/k/a Oak Ridge Realty Holding, Inc. and Nathaniel Revis

187 S.W.3d 364, 2005 Tenn. App. LEXIS 637, 96 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1845
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedOctober 5, 2005
DocketE2004-01974-COA-R3-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 187 S.W.3d 364 (Laschinski T. Emerson v. Oak Ridge Research, Inc. a/k/a Oak Ridge Realty Holding, Inc. and Nathaniel Revis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Laschinski T. Emerson v. Oak Ridge Research, Inc. a/k/a Oak Ridge Realty Holding, Inc. and Nathaniel Revis, 187 S.W.3d 364, 2005 Tenn. App. LEXIS 637, 96 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1845 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinions

OPINION

HERSCHEL PICKENS FRANKS, P.J.,

delivered the opinion of the court,

in which SHARON G. LEE, J., joined, and D. MICHAEL SWINEY, J., filed a separate Opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Plaintiff sued defendants for sexual harassment, assault and battery and retaliatory discharge. A jury returned a verdict for various damages, as well as punitive damages. The Trial Judge, acting as 13th juror, essentially approved the jury’s verdict, but reduced the punitive damages from $500,000.00 to $150,000.00, and awarded plaintiff attorney’s fees in the amount of $282,964.50, as well as discretionary costs. On appeal, we affirm in part, vacate in part and remand with instructions.

Background

Plaintiffs Complaint alleged that she had been damaged by the actions of the defendants, Oak Ridge Research, Inc. a/k/a Oak Ridge Realty Holding, Inc, (“ORRI”), and Nathaniel Revis. She alleged that Revis sexually harassed her and created a hostile working environment, including unwelcome sexual comments and unwelcome physical touching. Further that Revis promised her job benefits and favors if she would submit to a sexual relationship with him.

Plaintiff alleged that an attorney acting on her behalf sent a letter to Revis complaining of such conduct, and that Revis immediately began to retaliate against her in the work place, and that she was terminated from her job on April 3, 1998. She also alleged the company was an alter ego of Revis and that Revis completely controlled the company, such that the corporate veil should be pierced and Revis should be held personally liable for any acts attributed to the corporation. Fur[368]*368ther, that Revis made fun of her religious beliefs, and thus violated the Tennessee Human Rights Act, and that the corporation was liable for retaliatory discharge, in that plaintiff was dismissed for refusing to remain silent about such behavior.

She alleged that Revis was hable for slander and assault and battery, and sought compensatory and consequential, as well as punitive damages, plus attorney’s fees.

Defendants Answered, denying liability, and sought Summary Judgment. At that juncture, plaintiff filed a Motion to Amend Complaint, seeking to add a claim under Title VII, and also seeking to add a claim for attorney’s fees under the Tennessee Whistleblower Statute. The Court overruled the Motion to Amend, and ruled that defendants should be granted summary judgment on plaintiffs THRA claims, because the company did not have a sufficient number of employees during the time of plaintiffs employment.

Plaintiff filed a Second Motion to Amend Complaint, to add a claim of common law retaliatory discharge, which the Court granted and overruled the remaining issues raised in defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff dismissed her slander claim.

The trial before a jury lasted several days, with numerous witnesses testifying. Following closing arguments, the jury returned a verdict, finding that Revis made “an intentional attempt and unmistakable overt act coupled with the present ability to cause the plaintiff, Mrs. Emerson to reasonably believe that she was within the realm of harm or danger”. The jury found that Revis’ actions caused plaintiff harm, and that plaintiff suffered damages of $6,000.00. The jury further found that Revis made “bodily contact with plaintiff that was either unpermitted or harmful or offensive”, that his actions caused her harm, and that she suffered damages of $12,000.00.

Regarding retaliatory discharge, the jury found plaintiff was employed by ORRI, and that she was terminated because she refused to remain silent about conduct that she had reasonable cause to believe violated a criminal or civil law. The jury found that ORRI’s actions caused plaintiff embarrassment, humiliation, shame, or financial loss, and that plaintiff should be awarded $2,000.00 for her claims of embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. Further, the jury found plaintiff should be awarded $138,000.00 in back pay, and $13,800.00 in lost benefits from ORRI. Finally, the jury found that punitive damages were appropriate, by clear and convincing evidence.

The trial then proceeded on the issue of punitive damages. Following a presentation of the evidence, the jury further deliberated and returned a verdict awarding plaintiff punitive damages of $500,000.00. The court entered a Final Judgment, incorporating the jury’s verdict, and reserved the issue of attorney’s fees and discretionary costs.

Defendant Revis filed a Post-Judgment Motion, seeking a new trial and remittitur of the verdict. Defendant ORRI also filed Post-Judgment Motions for new trial, directed verdict, and remittitur. Other post-trial motions were filed, including motions regarding attorney’s fees, discretionary costs, front pay, and an award to remedy adverse tax consequences. Acting on these Motions, the Court entered a Judgment and Order denying all Post-Trial Motions, except that the Court granted a remittitur of the punitive damages, reducing same from $500,000.00 to $150,000.00, and further found the evidence preponderated in favor of the jury’s verdict otherwise. The Court granted plaintiffs attor[369]*369ney’s fees of $282,964.50, post-judgment interest, and discretionary costs of $12,000.00.

Issues on Appeal

The issues presented on appeal by all parties are numerous:

1. Does plaintiffs hiring of a lawyer and having him privately confront her alleged harassment advance “some important public policy interest embodied in the law” so as to constitute protected whistleblower activity under the Whistleblower Act, TenmCode Ann. § 50-1-304?
2. Does the discharge of an employee for complaining about unwelcome physical contact contravene a clear mandate of public policy evidenced by an unambiguous constitutional, statutory, or regulatory provision which defendant violated?
3. Was there any evidence to support the jury’s finding that the defendant’s reason for discharging plaintiff was pretextual?
4. May two defendants who are found liable for different torts, and therefore cannot be joint tortfeasors, be held jointly and severally liable for punitive damages?
5. Are the $500,000 in punitive damages awarded in this case lawful either in amount or in the procedure by which they were determined, and if not, are they salvaged by the trial court remitting them to $150,000?
6. Did the prejudicial errors committed by the trial court in the admission and exclusion of evidence more likely than not affect the outcome of the trial such that defendants are entitled to a new trial?
7. Is the 2000 amendment to the Whistleblower Act retroactive so as to subject plaintiffs employer to an award of attorney’s fees on a cause of action that accrued in 1998, and if so, is there any basis on which the individual defendant could properly have been held liable for plaintiffs attorneys fees?
8. Did the trial court err in suggesting a remittitur of punitive damages, or should the $500,000 award be reinstated?
9. Did the trial court err in refusing to award additional damages to plaintiff to compensate her for the adverse tax consequences that resulted from her unlawful termination and subsequent lump sum back pay award?

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187 S.W.3d 364, 2005 Tenn. App. LEXIS 637, 96 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1845, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/laschinski-t-emerson-v-oak-ridge-research-inc-aka-oak-ridge-realty-tennctapp-2005.