McAuliffe-Funk v. Coordinated Health Systems

56 Pa. D. & C.4th 381, 2001 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 347
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedDecember 27, 2001
Docketno. 2000-C-2148
StatusPublished

This text of 56 Pa. D. & C.4th 381 (McAuliffe-Funk v. Coordinated Health Systems) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McAuliffe-Funk v. Coordinated Health Systems, 56 Pa. D. & C.4th 381, 2001 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 347 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2001).

Opinion

GARDNER, RJ.,

This matter is before the court on defendant’s preliminary objections to plaintiff’s complaint and motion for attorney’s fees filed September 12,2000. Plaintiff’s reply to defendant’s preliminary objections to plaintiff’s complaint and motion for attorney’s fees was filed October 2, 2000. On April 24, 2001, the undersigned conducted a status telephone conference at which counsel for plaintiff withdrew plaintiff’s demand for a jury trial and plaintiff’s claims for punitive damages and disparate treatment gender discrimination. Subsequently, the undersigned en[383]*383tered an order dated April 24, 2001, and filed May 22, 2001, disposing of plaintiff’s claims.

In our April 24, 2001 order, we struck the June 13, 2001 oral argument scheduled for this matter and considered the matter on the basis of the memoranda of law submitted by the parties. For the reasons expressed below, we sustain defendant’s preliminary objections in part and overrule them in part.

Initially, defendant propounded five preliminary objections as follows: (1) a demurrer and or motion to strike plaintiff’s claim for jury trial; (2) a demurrer and motion to strike plaintiff’s claim for punitive damages; (3) a demurrer to plaintiff’s disparate treatment gender discrimination claim; (4) a demurrer to plaintiff’s constructive discharge claim; and (5) a motion for attorney’s fees.1 As stated above, plaintiff withdrew her claims numbered (1), (2) and (3). Accordingly, the remaining preliminary objections are the demurrer to plaintiff’s constructive discharge claim and defendant’s motion for attorney’s fees.

Initially, we will address defendant’s demurrer to plaintiff’s claim for constructive discharge. Plaintiff brings her claim for constructive discharge pursuant to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.2 In her complaint, plaintiff contends that she was employed by defendant as an administrative assistant at defendant Coordinated Health Systems from April 23, 1997, through March 5, 1998.3 Plaintiff alleges that in the summer of [384]*3841997, Keith Roberts was employed by defendant as a physical therapy assistant.4 Shortly after commencing employment, Mr. Roberts allegedly started making statements to plaintiff that he was going though a bitter divorce and was very attracted to her.5

Plaintiff further contends that Mr. Roberts often commented to co-employees concerning her physical attributes. Mr. Roberts allegedly stated that he thought plaintiff was “hot” and “had a killer body.” 6 Plaintiff asserts that Mr. Roberts leered at her while she exercised on the physical therapy equipment and inappropriately touched her by placing his hands on her neck and shoulders. Plaintiff contends that she repeatedly informed Mr. Roberts of her objection to being touched.7

In addition, plaintiff asserts that Mr. Roberts made obscene comments and gestures to her privately and in the presence of co-workers. These included grabbing his private parts in front of plaintiff, running his tongue over his lips and whispering inappropriate comments into plaintiff’s ear.8

In response to Mr. Roberts alleged inappropriate actions, plaintiff informed him on numerous occasions that she objected to his sexual advances, gestures and touching.9 In addition, plaintiff contends that the alleged harassing behavior was known to at least four of defendant’s supervisory and management employees. She [385]*385avers that at least two of them spoke to Mr. Roberts about his behavior. Moreover, one of the supervisory staff eventually reprimanded Mr. Roberts.10

Plaintiff asserts that after Mr. Roberts was reprimanded, he continued his inappropriate behavior, but did so in a much more angry and aggressive manner. She contends that he attempted to exact retribution from plaintiff for causing the reprimand.

Following the reprimand, Mr. Roberts allegedly told plaintiff in front of the supervisor who reprimanded him, “You just wait. I’m gonna make your job ten times— count’em — ten times harder.” Plaintiff contends that the supervisor took no action after hearing this statement.11 Plaintiff states that Mr. Roberts then began to make unfounded complaints about her to the supervisory staff about her job performance and told other co-workers that he was trying to get plaintiff fired.12

Plaintiff alleges that on March 6, 1998, as a result of an appointment she requested with the administrator and chief executive of defendant corporation, Jane Dilorio, she submitted her letter of resignation.13 Plaintiff contends that after she submitted her resignation, Miss Dilorio asked “is this due to Keith Roberts?” 14

In Kroen v. Bedway Security Agency Inc., 430 Pa. Super. 83, 94, 633 A.2d 628, 633 (1993), the Superior Court of Pennsylvania first recognized a cause of action in tort [386]*386for “constructive discharge” of an at-will employee upon a claim of wrongful discharge where the employer makes working conditions so intolerable that the employee is forced to resign. As stated for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit:

“[N]o finding of a specific intent on the part of the employer to bring about a discharge is required for the application of the constructive discharge doctrine. The court need merely find that the employer knowingly permitted conditions of discrimination in employment so intolerable that a reasonable person subject to them would resign.” Goss v. Exxon Office Systems Company, 747 F.2d 885, 888 (3d Cir. 1984).
“ ‘Intolerability’ is not established by showing merely that a reasonable person, confronted with the same choices as the employee, would have viewed resignation as the wisest or best decision, or even that the employee subjectively felt compelled to resign; presumably every resignation occurs because the employee believes that it is in his [or her] best interest to resign. Rather, ‘[i]ntolerability ... is assessed by the objective standard of whether a “reasonable person” in the employee’s position would have felt compelled to resign,’ — that is, whether he [or she] would have had no choice but to resign, (emphasis in original)” Connors v. Chrysler Financial Corp., 160 F.3d 971, 976 (3d Cir. 1998), citing Blistein v. St. John’s College, 74 F.3d 1459 (4th Cir. 1996).

In addition to meeting the objective standard, defendant contends that a plaintiff must usually show that she attempted to explore alternatives before deciding to resign. Clowes v. Allegheny Valley Hospital, 991 F.2d 1159, [387]*3871161 (3d Cir. 1993).

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Bluebook (online)
56 Pa. D. & C.4th 381, 2001 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcauliffe-funk-v-coordinated-health-systems-pactcompllehigh-2001.