Leclerc v. Interstate Distributors, Inc.

8 Mass. L. Rptr. 654
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedFebruary 11, 1998
DocketNo. 9702008
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 8 Mass. L. Rptr. 654 (Leclerc v. Interstate Distributors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Leclerc v. Interstate Distributors, Inc., 8 Mass. L. Rptr. 654 (Mass. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

Graham, J.

This action arises out of a claim of sexual harassment filed by the plaintiff, Vicki Leclerc (“Leclerc”) against her former employer, Interstate Distributors, Inc. (“Interstate”); William Anderson (“Anderson”), a co-employee who allegedly harassed the plaintiff; and Michael Doyle and Lisa Whitney, employees of Interstate who maintain management positions and allegedly failed to take effective measures to relieve the plaintiffs harassment. Defendants’ Interstate, Doyle and Whitney are presently moving to dismiss Counts I, II, IV, V, VI.

Based upon the foregoing, the defendants’ motion to dismiss counts I (Sexual Discrimination), II (Retaliation), V (Violation of G.L.c. 214, §1C), and VI (Aiding and Abetting in Sexual Harassment and Retaliation) are DENIED. Defendants’ motion to dismiss count IV (Negligent Hiring, Retention and/or Supervision) is ALLOWED.

BACKGROUND

Interstate Distributors is a business located in Quincy, Massachusetts. Between August 1995 and August 1996, the plaintiff was employed by Interstate as an assistant supervisor and supervisor. During this period, Lisa Whitney was employed by Interstate as a Human Resource Administrator and Michael Doyle was employed as a manager at Interstate. At all relevant times to this action, the plaintiffs immediate supervisor was William Anderson.

During the fall of 1995, the plaintiff alleges that Anderson began making unwelcomed sexually harassing and offensive comments towards her. The plaintiff contends that Anderson also began a pattern of unwelcomed sexual advances toward her. This conduct occurred in the presence of other employees of Interstate. The plaintiff asserts that she unsuccessfully ordered Anderson to refrain from such behavior.

In Januaiy 1996, Leclerc alleges that Anderson’s behavior escalated and encompassed: comments regarding actresses’ breasts; placing pornographic magazines on the tieline upon which Leclerc worked; instructing .Leclerc to keep her door unlocked so he could catch her in the shower; commenting that the plaintiff should use a broomstick in a sexual manner; and commenting that Leclerc had tendinitis from “jerking off’ her flaneé too much. Additional incidents of harassment included gifts from Anderson, including a Valentine’s Day card and two bottles of perfume.

During the spring of 1996, Leclerc complained of Anderson’s conduct to Doyle and Whitney. The plaintiff contends that Doyle advised Anderson and Leclerc to resolve the matter amongst themselves. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants failed to adequately investigate the situation and failed to take adequate steps to address and rectify the problem.

On July 23, 1996, Leclerc left Interstate’s employ. The parties dispute whether her employment was terminated or whether she resigned. Subsequent to leaving Interstate, Leclerc applied for and received unemployment compensation.

The plaintiff filed a complaint against Interstate alleging harassment with the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination (“MCAD”) within the statutory six month period. The plaintiff has chosen to remove her action from the MCAD and has filed this action in the Superior Court.

DISCUSSION A. Standard of Review

When evaluating the sufficiency of a complaint pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), the court must determine whether the complaint states a claim upon which relief can be granted. The court must take the allegations of the complaint, as well as any inferences which can be drawn from those allegations in the plaintiffs favor, as true. The complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of its claim which would entitle it to relief. Nader v. Citron, 372 Mass. 96, 98 (1977), quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-6 (1957); Whitinsville Plaza, Inc. v. Kotseas, 378 Mass. 85, 89 (1979).

B. Viability of G.L.c. 214, §1C Claim

The defendants contend that the plaintiff is barred from bringing an action under G.L.c. 214, §1C. The defendants argue that such claim is barred by the exclusivity provision of G.L.c. 151B. The court is not persuaded by the defendants’ argument. In Green v. Wyman-Gordon, Co., 422 Mass. 551 (1996), the court dealt with this exact issue. Id. at 554-58. In Green, the plaintiff failed to file an action with the MCAD within the statutory six month time period required by G.L.c. 151B. Id. at 554. The plaintiff argued that her failure did not preclude her from bringing an action in Superior Court under G.L.c. 214, §1C. Id. The court disagreed, refusing to create a remedy for employment discrimination which would allow claimants to avoid the procedural prerequisites of G.L.c. 151B. Id. at 555. The court noted that G.L.c. 214, § 1C provides Superior Court with jurisdiction of all sexual harassment claims brought because either: 1) the employer was not covered by G.L.c. 151B or 2) the claimant has satisfied the procedural prerequisites for a G.L.c. 15 IB claim and has chosen to pursue the case in court. Id. at 557. Thus, parties are precluded from bringing an action under G.L.c. 214, §1C if they failed to meet the procedural requirement of filing a claim with the MCAD pursuant to G.L.c. 15 IB. If a claimant has met this procedural requirement, she is able to pursue a claim under G.L.c. 151B and G.L.c. 214, §1C in Superior Court.

In the present matter, the court is satisfied that the plaintiff followed the procedural requirements of [656]*656G.L.c. 15 IB by filing a claim at the MCAD within the statutory time period. Accordingly, the plaintiff is presently free to pursue a claim for sexual harassment under G.L.c. 214, §1C.

C.Exclusivity Statutory Provisions Barring Negligence Claims

The defendant asserts that the plaintiffs claims for negligent hiring, retention, and supervision are barred by the exclusivity provisions of the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act and the Massachusetts employment discrimination laws. The Supreme Judicial Court has held that common law claims are barred by the exclusivity provision of the Workers’ Compensation Act where “the plaintiff is shown to be an employee; his condition is shown to be personal injury within the meaning of the Workers’ Compensation Act; and the injury is shown to have arisen in the course of employment." Foley v. Polaroid, 381 Mass. 545, 548-49 (1980). It does not matter if the injury was caused by a fellow employee since the injury is still compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Green v. Wyman-Gordon Co., 422 Mass. 551, 558 (1996).

Courts have repeatedly held that claims of negligence arising out of a personnel action are barred by the Workers’ Compensation Act. In Catalano v. First Essex Savings Bank, 37 Mass.App.Ct. 377 (1994), the plaintiffs complaint alleged that her emotional disability arose out of a daily campaign of harassment by her fellow employee which was brought to her employer’s attention without action being taken. Id. at 381. The court concluded that the claim was compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act and thus properly dismissed under the exclusivity clause of the Workers’ Compensation Act. Id.; see also Green v. Wyman-Gordon, supra, 422 Mass. at 561 (negligence claims arising from alleged sexual harassment in workplace barred by Workers’ Compensation Act).

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Bluebook (online)
8 Mass. L. Rptr. 654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leclerc-v-interstate-distributors-inc-masssuperct-1998.