Richard D. Phillips v. Interstate Hotels Corporation L07 and Interstate Hotels Corporation on L07, D/B/A Chattanooga Marriott and Kicks Lounge

Court of Appeals of Tennessee

Richard D. Phillips v. Interstate Hotels Corporation L07 and Interstate Hotels Corporation on L07, D/B/A Chattanooga Marriott and Kicks Lounge

DecidedOctober 4, 1996

Docket03A01-9512-CH-00441

StatusPublished

This text of Richard D. Phillips v. Interstate Hotels Corporation L07 and Interstate Hotels Corporation on L07, D/B/A Chattanooga Marriott and Kicks Lounge (Richard D. Phillips v. Interstate Hotels Corporation L07 and Interstate Hotels Corporation on L07, D/B/A Chattanooga Marriott and Kicks Lounge) 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.

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Richard D. Phillips v. Interstate Hotels Corporation L07 and Interstate Hotels Corporation on L07, D/B/A Chattanooga Marriott and Kicks Lounge, (Tenn. Ct. App. 1996).

Pincite

Opinion

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON FILED October 4, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk

RI CHARD D. PHI LLI PS ) HAM LTON COUNTY I ) 03A01- 9512- CH- 00441 Pl a i nt i f f - Appe l l a nt ) ) ) v. ) ) HON. HOWELL N. PEOPLES, ) CHANCELLOR I NTERSTATE HOTELS CORPORATI ON ) # L07 a n d I NTERSTATE HOTELS ) CORPORATI ON #L07, d / b/ a ) CHATTANOOGA M ARRI OTT a nd ) KI CKS LOUNGE ) ) De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

ANI TA B. HARDEMAN OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLANT

KARL M TERRELL a nd CHRI STOPHER TERRELL OF ATLANTA, GEORGI A, FOR . APPELLEE

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

I n t hi s c a s e , t he Pl a i nt i f f , Ri c ha r d D. Phi l l i ps , s u e s

I n t e r s t a t e Hot e l s Cor por a t i on a nd I nt e r s t a t e Hot e l s Cor por a t i o n

# L0 7 , d / b/ a Cha t t a nooga M r r i ot t a nd Ki c ks Lounge , s e e ki ng a d a ma g e s by r e a s on of t he De f e nda nt s vi ol a t i ng hi s c i vi l r i ght s

u n d e r t he pr ovi s i ons of T. C. A. 4- 21- 301( 2) .

The Tr i a l Cour t e nt e r e d a s umma r y j udgme nt i n f a vor o f

t h e De f e nda nt s a nd t he Pl a i nt i f f a ppe a l s , r a i s i ng t he f ol l owi n g

t h r e e i s s ue s :

I. WHETHER THE LOW COURT ERRED I N FI NDI NG THAT I T I S NOT ER AGAI NST THE LAW FOR A PLACE OF PUBLI C ACCOM ODATI ON TO FORCE M AN EM PLOYEE TO BE A PART OF AN OVERALL PATTERN AND SCHEM OFE DI SCOURAGI NG BLACK PATRONAGE.

II. WHETHER THE LOW COURT ERRED I N FAI LI NG TO RECOGNI ZE ER THAT THE PRECLUSI ONS OF TENN. CODE ANN. §4- 21- 501 ARE ACTS MADE DI SCRI M NATORY BY CHAPTER 21 OF THE TENNESSEE HUM I AN RI GHTS ACT.

III. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED I N DETERM NI NG, AS A M I ATTER OF LAW THAT AN I NDI VI DUAL' S BEI NG REQUI RED TO PARTI CI PATE I N , AN OVERALL SCHEM TO DI SCRI M NATE AGAI NST BLACK CUSTOM E I ERS CANNOT BE SO I NTOLERABLE AS TO FORCE A REASONABLE PERSON TO RESI GN HI S POSI TI ON.

Pr i or t o b r i ngi ng t hi s s ui t , t h e Pl a i nt i f f wa s a n

e mp l o y e e of W l d W de Ent e r t a i nme nt , a n e nt i t y whi c h c ont r a c t e d or i

o u t i t s e mpl oye e s t o p e r f or m e nt e r t a i nme nt r e l a t e d s e r vi c e s .

Th r o u g h t hi s e mpl oyme nt , h e wa s a s s i gne d a s a di s c j oc ke y t o t h e

Ki c k s Lounge i n t he M r r i ot t Hot e l i n Cha t t a nooga . a The Ki c ks

Lo u n g e a nd t he M r r i ot t a r e owne d a nd ope r a t e d by I nt e r s t a t e a

Co r p o r a t i on #L07, a De l a wa r e c or por a t i on. The Pl a i nt i f f wor ke d

a s Ki c k s ’ di s c j oc ke y f r om M y 1991 unt i l Fe br ua r y 1992. a

2 I n Fe br ua r y 1993, t he Pl a i nt i f f br ought s ui t a ga i ns t

t h e De f e nda nt s , a l l e gi ng c ons t r uc t i ve di s c ha r ge a nd vi ol a t i ons o f

t h e Te nne s s e e Huma n Ri ght s Ac t . The Pl a i nt i f f a l l e ge s t ha t he

wa s f o r c e d t o pa r t i c i pa t e i n a pl a n t o pr e ve nt bl a c k pa t r ons f r o m

f r e q u e n t i ng t he b a r . I n hi s a f f i da vi t , t h e Pl a i nt i f f a l l e ge s

t h a t Bo bby J ohns on, ma na ge r of Ki c ks , i ns t r uc t e d t he Pl a i nt i f f t o

p l a y mu s i c t ha t woul d di s c our a ge bl a c k pa t r ons f r om r e ma i ni ng i n

t he ba r . The Pl a i nt i f f f ur t he r a l l e ge s t ha t M . J ohns on t hr e w r

n a p k i n s wi t h me s s a ge s on t he m or s hone a f l a s hl i ght i n t he

Pl a i n t i f f ’ s e ye s i n or de r t o f or c e t he Pl a i nt i f f t o c ha nge t he

mu s i c s e l e c t i on. W n t he Pl a i nt i f f e xpr e s s e d hi s di s pl e a s ur e he

wi t h M . J ohns on’ s a c t i ons , t h e Pl a i nt i f f a l l e ge s he r e c e i ve d t he r

" c o l d s houl de r " t r e a t me nt .

The Pl a i nt i f f c i t e s ot he r i nc i de nt s of a l l e ge d

d i s c r i mi na t i on. He c l a i ms t ha t bl a c k pa t r ons we r e r e f us e d

s e a t i n g e ve n t hough s e a t i n g wa s a va i l a bl e ; t ha t a n " a d hoc " dr e s s

c o d e wa s e nf or c e d on bl a c k pa t r ons onl y; t ha t M . J ohns on woul d r

c l o s e t he l ounge e a r l y i f t he c r owd we r e ma i nl y bl a c k pa t r ons ;

t h a t M . J ohns on r e f us e d t o r un ba r t a bs f or bl a c k pa t r ons ; t h a t r

a d r i n k mi ni mum wa s i mpos e d on bl a c k c us t ome r s ; t ha t M . J ohns o n r

r e mo v e d a dr a f t be e r t ha t wa s t he mos t popul a r be e r a mong bl a c k

p a t r o n s a nd t ha t a c ove r c ha r ge wa s i mpos e d i n or de r t o

d i s c o u r a ge bl a c k pa t r ona ge .

Be c a us e of t he s e a l l e ge d i nc i de nt s , t he Pl a i nt i f f

t e n d e r e d hi s r e s i gna t i on. He ga ve Ki c ks one mont h’ s not i c e a n d

3 t h e n s t a ye d on a s t he di s c j oc ke y a n e xt r a s e ve n t o 10 da ys a t

W r l d W de Ent e r t a i nme nt ’ s r e que s t . o i He f i na l l y t e r mi na t e d hi s

e mp l o y me nt i n mi d- Fe br ua r y 1992. Howe ve r , t he Pl a i nt i f f r e t ur n e d

t o Ki c k s on t wo s ubs e que nt oc c a s i ons t o " f i l l i n" a s t he di s c

j oc ke y. Af t e r l e a vi ng Ki c ks , t he Pl a i nt i f f f ound e mpl oyme nt i n

M r c h 1 992 wi t h Li f e s t yl e s Ca r pe t s . a

I n h i s c ompl a i nt , t h e Pl a i nt i f f a l l e ge d t ha t t he

De f e n d a nt s vi ol a t e d t he Te nne s s e e Huma n Ri ght s Ac t by de nyi ng

b l a c k p a t r ons t he f ul l a nd e qua l e nj oyme nt of t he ba r ’ s goods ,

s e r v i c e s , f a c i l i t i e s a nd a c c ommoda t i ons . He f ur t he r a l l e ge d t h a t

t h e De f e nda nt s de ma nde d t ha t he e nga ge i n s uc h di s c r i mi na t i ng

t a c t i c s a nd t ha t t he De f e nda nt s ’ i nt e r f e r e nc e wi t h hi s a bi l i t y t o

c o mp l y wi t h t he pr ovi s i ons of t he Te nne s s e e Huma n Ri ght s Ac t

a mo u n t e d t o a c ons t r uc t i ve di s c ha r ge . Fi na l l y, t he Pl a i nt i f f

a l l e ge d t ha t t he De f e nda nt s e nga ge d i n ma l i c i ous ha r a s s me nt i n

t r y i n g t o f or c e t he Pl a i nt i f f t o di s c our a ge bl a c k pa t r ona ge .

Upon e nt r y of s umma r y j udgme nt f or t he De f e nda nt s , t h e

Pl a i n t i f f p e r f e c t e d t hi s a ppe a l . He a ppe a l s t he e nt r y of s umma r y

j u d g me n t a s t o t he f i r s t t wo a l l e ga t i ons out l i ne d a bove . He d o e s

n o t a p p e a l di s mi s s a l of t he ma l i c i ous ha r a s s me nt c l a i m.

The Te nne s s e e Supr e me Cour t , i n Byr d v. Ha l l , 847

S. W 2 d 208 ( Te nn. 1993) , s e t f or t h t he pr ope r s umma r y j udgme nt .

a n a l y s i s t o be a ppl i e d i n Te nne s s e e . The r e , t he Cour t s a i d i n

e v a l u a t i ng a s umma r y j udgme nt mot i on, t he s e que s t i ons mus t be

4 r e s o l v e d : ( 1) whe t he r a f a c t ual di s put e e xi s t s ; ( 2) whe t he r t h e

d i s p u t e i s mat e r i al t o t he out c ome of t he c a s e ; a nd ( 3) whe t he r

t h e di s put e d f a c t c r e a t e s a ge nui ne i s s ue f or t r i a l .

Byr d f ur t he r e xpl a i ns t ha t s umma r y j udgme nt s houl d b e

e mp l o y e d whe r e t he r e i s no di s put e ove r t he e vi de nc e a nd t he r e i s

n o i s s u e f or a j ur y t o de c i de . For a pa r t y t o a voi d s umma r y

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