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

Court of Appeals of Tennessee·Decided October 4, 1996·No. 03A01-9512-CH-00441·Published

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

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI