Randolph v. Grange Mutual Casualty Co.

925 N.E.2d 149, 185 Ohio App. 3d 589
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 22, 2009
DocketNo. 09AP-519
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 925 N.E.2d 149 (Randolph v. Grange Mutual Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Randolph v. Grange Mutual Casualty Co., 925 N.E.2d 149, 185 Ohio App. 3d 589 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

French, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Plaintiff-appellant, James Randolph, appeals the judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, entering summary judgment in favor of defendant-appellee, Grange Mutual Casualty Company, on Randolph’s claims for interference with his rights under the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), Section 2601, Title 29, U.S.Code, and for intentional infliction of emotional distress. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

{¶ 2} Randolph initially filed an action against Grange on December 2, 2004, alleging claims for retaliation under the FMLA and intentional infliction of emotional distress, arising out of the termination of his employment by Grange on December 5, 2002. Randolph voluntarily dismissed his initial complaint without prejudice in August 2005 and refiled his action on August 2, 2006. Except for changing his FMLA claim from one of retaliation to one of interference with his rights under the FMLA, Randolph’s refiled complaint is nearly identical to his initial complaint.

{¶ 3} In May 2007, Grange filed a motion for summary judgment, which the trial court granted on April 29, 2009. Randolph appeals the trial court’s judgment on his FMLA claim, but he does not assign error with respect to the entry of summary judgment on his claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Randolph asserts the following assignments of error:

FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
The trial court erred as a matter of law in applying retroactive rulemaking of the revised November 2008 FMLA regulation to events that took place prior to revised November 2008 FMLA effective date of January 2009, which impaired [593]*593the FMLA rights [Randolph] was entitle[d] to under the old rule (April 1995 FMLA regulation[) ].
SECOND ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
The trial court erred in not identi[f]ying that [Randolph] has a[n] FMLA claim of interference under the 1995 FMLA regulation.
THIRD ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
The trial court erred in not [identifying] that [Randolph] has a[n] FMLA claim of discrimination under the 1995 FMLA regulation.

{¶ 4} We review a summary judgment de novo. Koos v. Cent. Ohio Cellular, Inc. (1994), 94 Ohio App.3d 579, 588, 641 N.E.2d 265, citing Brown v. Scioto Cty. Bd. of Commrs. (1998), 87 Ohio App.3d 704, 711, 622 N.E.2d 1153. When an appellate court reviews a trial court’s disposition of a summary-judgment motion, it applies the same standard as the trial court and conducts an independent review, without deference to the trial court’s determination. Maust v. Bank One Columbus, N.A. (1992), 83 Ohio App.3d 103, 107, 614 N.E.2d 765; Brown at 711, 622 N.E.2d 1153. We must affirm the trial court’s judgment if any grounds that the movant has raised in the trial court support it. Coventry Twp. v. Ecker (1995), 101 Ohio App.3d 38, 41-42, 654 N.E.2d 1327.

{¶ 5} Pursuant to Civ.R. 56(C), summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, written admissions, affidavits, transcripts of evidence, and written stipulations of fact, if any, timely filed in the action, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Accordingly, summary judgment is appropriate only under the following circumstances: (1) no genuine issue of material fact remains to be litigated; (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law; and (3) viewing the evidence most strongly in favor of the nonmoving party, reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, that conclusion being adverse to the nonmoving party. Harless v. Willis Day Warehousing Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 64, 66, 8 O.O.3d 73, 375 N.E.2d 46. Because summary judgment is a procedural device to terminate litigation, courts should award it cautiously after resolving all doubts in favor of the nonmoving party. Murphy v. Reynoldsburg (1992), 65 Ohio St.3d 356, 358-359, 604 N.E.2d 138, quoting Norris v. Ohio Std. Oil Co. (1982), 70 Ohio St.2d 1, 2, 24 O.O.3d 1, 433 N.E.2d 615.

{¶ 6} The FMLA entitles a qualifying employee to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period “[b]ecause of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee.” Section 2612(a)(1)(D), Title 29, U.S.Code. A “serious health condition” is defined as “an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves — (A) inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care [594]*594facility; or (B) continuing treatment by a health care provider.” Section 2611(11), Title 29, U.S.Code. An employee need not take FMLA leave all at once, but may take leave intermittently due to a single qualifying reason. Collins v. United States Playing Card Co. (S.D.Ohio 2006), 466 F.Supp.2d 954, 964, citing former 29 C.F.R. 825.203, 60 Fed.Reg. 2247.

{¶ 7} It is unlawful for an employer to “interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise” an employee’s rights under the FMLA. Section 2615(a)(1), Title 29, U.S.Code. Pursuant to Section 2617(a)(1), Title 29, U.S.Code, an employer who violates Section 2615, Title 29, U.S.Code is liable to any eligible employee affected, and Section 2617(a)(2), Title 29, U.S.Code provides individual employees a right to sue in state or federal court.

{¶ 8} There are two distinct theories of recovery under the FMLA: (1) interference, sometimes referred to as entitlement, and (2) retaliation, sometimes referred to as discrimination. Under the interference theory, “ ‘[t]he issue is simply whether the employer provided its employee the entitlements set forth in the FMLA,’ ” and the employer’s intent is not a relevant part of the analysis. Edgar v. JAC Prods., Inc. (C.A.6, 2006), 443 F.3d 501, 507, quoting Arban v. W. Publishing Corp. (C.A.6, 2003), 345 F.3d 390, 401. By contrast, under the retaliation theory, the employer’s motive is relevant because retaliation claims impose liability on an employer that acts against an employee specifically because the employee invoked FMLA rights. Edgar at 508.

{¶ 9} Randolph’s refiled complaint states only an interference claim under the FMLA.

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Bluebook (online)
925 N.E.2d 149, 185 Ohio App. 3d 589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/randolph-v-grange-mutual-casualty-co-ohioctapp-2009.