Pascual v. Anchor Advanced Products, Inc.

819 F. Supp. 728, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5781, 61 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1317, 1993 WL 141093
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Tennessee
DecidedApril 30, 1993
DocketNo. CIV-2-91-362
StatusPublished

This text of 819 F. Supp. 728 (Pascual v. Anchor Advanced Products, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pascual v. Anchor Advanced Products, Inc., 819 F. Supp. 728, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5781, 61 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1317, 1993 WL 141093 (E.D. Tenn. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

HULL, District Judge.

This Title VII action is before the Court to consider motions for summary judgment filed by the defendant. After careful consideration of the record as a whole, the Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

[729]*729PLAINTIFFS’ PROPOSED FINDING OF FACT ADOPTED BY THE COURT

1. Employees Amalia Pascual, Gloria Helton and Jane Brown were long term employees of the defendant, Anchor Advanced Products, Incorporated, and received satisfactory job performance reviews and raises during their employment which ended on May 24, 1990.

2. The defendant employed an investigator who issued an investigative report which outlined drinking on behalf of employee Jesse Waller, a black male, as well as other allegations.

3. The Tennessee Department of Employment Security, found after a hearing and due process that the plaintiffs were not guilty of any misconduct connected with their employment.

DEFENDANT’S PROPOSED FINDINGS OF FACT ADOPTED BY THE COURT

1. Plaintiffs, Amy Pascual, Gloria Helton and Jane Brown were employed by Anchor Advanced Products, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Anchor”) at its Davis Street facility in Morristown, Tennessee. Plaintiffs, Pascual and Helton were employed as machine operators and plaintiff Brown was a quality control inspector. The plaintiffs all worked in the packaging department. The plaintiffs were each discharged from their employment with Anchor on May 24, 1990.

2. Plaintiff Pascual is a female of Philippine origin. Plaintiff Helton is of United States origin, white, and female. Plaintiff Brown is of United States origin, black, and female.

3. While plaintiffs were employed with Anchor, a number of employees approached Diane West, Human Relations Manager, and made verbal complaints about employee conduct including sexual harassment and other offensive behavior. The complaining employees advised West that the stated offensive behavior was creating an uncomfortable work environment.

4. As a result of employee complaints, Anchor investigated the employee conduct on second shift. Anchor placed two (2) undercover agents in the plant. Additionally, on May 23,1990, Anchor interviewed over twenty (20) employees. During these interviews the employees were questioned about their behavior during working hours as well as their observance of others.

5. Present at the May 23, 1990 employee interview were West and Bob Wolfe, Production Superintendent, along with two agents from the investigative agency.

6. While plaintiffs were employed with Anchor, Anchor had Plant Guidelines in effect setting forth a guide as to the nature of conduct that would not be tolerated.

7. Anchor’s Plant Guidelines, “B.” and “H.”, provide as follows:

Plant Guidelines
We try to make this a safe and pleasant place to work. The cooperation of all employees is necessary to carry this out. People who work together realize that one person’s misconduct may harm all the rest, and they expect certain standards of conduct to be set.
It would be impractical to set forth a list of all activities that are considered improper, illegal, or contrary to good business practices and good employee-employer relations. This list is intended only as a guideline.
It is emphasized, however, that any act (whether on this list or not), which in the judgment of management is not consistent with this policy, shall be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
The following activities are violations of company guidelines and rules.
B. Committing an act considered improper or immoral conduct, or any act of violence, such as fighting, on the company premises.
H. Willful violation or disregard of safety, health, fire, security, or employment regulations, signs and notices.

8.Plaintiffs, Pascual, Helton and Brown, each received a copy of Anchor’s Plant [730]*730Guidelines in January, 1990, and signed receipt thereof.

9. The term “melvin” is defined as the act of an individual coming up from behind another individual and reaching down into their pants, grabbing hold of their underwear and pulling it up and out over their pants.

10. On May 24, 1990, plaintiffs Pascual, Helton and Brown, each met with Diane West and were discharged for violating Plant Guidelines “B.” and “H.”.

11. The decision to discharge the plaintiffs and the other three employees on May 24, 1990, was made by Joseph M. Viglione, Senior Vice President of Human Relations and Total Quality, West, Bob Wolfe, and Terry Jones, plant manager.

12. Three other employees admitted to giving melvins and were discharged on May 24, 1990 for violations of Plant Guidelines “B.” and “H.”. Those three employees were Eddie Wilmeth, white, male; Mark Lowery, white, male; and Lynn Musick, white, female. All three are of United States National origin.

18.During plaintiff Brown’s May 23,1990 interview, she advised Ms. West and the others present that during working hours she had observed co-employees, Eddie Wilmeth, Mark Lowery, Lynn Musick, plaintiffs Helton and Pascual, each give melvins.

14. Other than plaintiffs Pascual and Helton, and the other three employees terminated on May 24, 1990, no other employee at Anchor admitted to giving melvins, or being involved in behavior of similar severity.

15. Anchor has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP”), wherein it assists employees who come forward and present Anchor with a substance abuse problem. Employees who come forward with a substance abuse dependency are considered to have a medical problem, and are dealt with in the same manner as any other employee with a medical problem.

16. On May 24, 1990, employee Jesse Waller confided in Anchor regarding having an alcohol problem. Pursuant to Anchor’s policies, Waller was placed in the EAP.

17. Employees Jesse Waller and Jeff Shortridge did not admit to giving melvins or to being involved in behavior of that nature.

18. On November 4, 1991, plaintiffs filed a complaint alleging they were discharged from Anchor because of their race, sex and national origin (plaintiff Pascual), in violating of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., and state civil rights statutes. On November 22, 1991, the plaintiffs amended their complaint alleging Anchor’s discriminatory acts violated the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

19. Plaintiff Brown testified that two male employees, Mark Lowery and Eddie Wilmeth, were discharged for the same reasons she was.

20. Plaintiff Brown testified that four white employees, Lynn Musick, Gloria Helton, Mark Lowery and Eddie Wilmeth, were discharged for the same reasons and at the same time that she was.

21. Plaintiff Brown bases her race and sex discrimination claim on the contention that she was discharged while Jesse Waller (black male) and Jeff Shortridge (white male) were not.

22. Plaintiff Brown does not allege that Waller ever gave a melvin or participated in behavior of that nature.

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819 F. Supp. 728, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5781, 61 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1317, 1993 WL 141093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pascual-v-anchor-advanced-products-inc-tned-1993.