Williams v. Vought

68 S.W.3d 102, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4585, 2001 WL 767561
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 10, 2001
Docket05-99-01314-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 68 S.W.3d 102 (Williams v. Vought) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. Vought, 68 S.W.3d 102, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4585, 2001 WL 767561 (Tex. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

OPINION

Opinion By

Justice FITZGERALD.

Carmen Williams and her husband, Charles Williams, sued their employer Northrop Grumman Vought (NGV). Carmen asserted a claim for sexual harassment under the Texas Labor Code, and both Carmen and Charles brought claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of NGV on Charles’s claim and on Carmen’s claim for sexual harassment arising prior to October 4, 1995. The trial court later granted a directed verdict for NGV on Carmen’s intentional infliction of emotional distress claim. The trial court submitted Carmen’s claim for sexual harassment after October 4, 1995 to a jury, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of NGV. In five points of error, the Williamses contend the trial court (1) erred in granting summary judgment for NGV on Carmen’s claim for sexual harassment prior to October 4,1995 and on Charles’s intentional infliction of emotional distress claim; (2) erred in granting a directed verdict on Carmen’s claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress; (3) improperly instructed the jury on the essential elements of Carmen’s sexual [106]*106harassment claim arising after October 4, 1995; and (4) erred in denying Carmen’s motion for partial summary judgment. For reasons that follow, we affirm the trial court’s judgment in part and reverse and remand in part.

Background

Carmen worked for NGV, a manufacturer of airplane parts, in the sheet metal department. Her husband Charles also worked for NGV in a different department. In August 1995, Carmen’s supervisor, Bill Harvey, allegedly began sexually harassing her. Carmen alleged that Harvey made unwelcome sexual advances and engaged in other offensive verbal and physical conduct which created a hostile work environment. In October 1995, Carmen complained about the alleged harassment to other NGV supervisors. After an investigation, NGV placed Harvey on a two-week unpaid disciplinary suspension. Also in October, on the order of a psychiatrist, Carmen took a leave of absence from NGV for “major depressive disorder.”

On November 22, 1995, Carmen filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), asserting she was sexually harassed by her supervisor at NGV and that NGV discriminated against her because of her gender in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In her EEOC complaint, Carmen indicated the discrimination took place between the dates of August 15, 1995 and October 4, 1995. On November 22, 1995, the same day Carmen filed her complaint with the EEOC, the EEOC forwarded a copy of the charge of discrimination to the Texas Commission on Human Rights (TCHR). The EEOC also issued Carmen a right to sue letter. The letter informed Carmen that the EEOC was “terminating its process with respect to [her] charge” and that if she intended to sue NGV, she was required to do so within ninety days of her receipt of the notice. Carmen did not file suit within ninety days of November 22,1995.

On January 22, 1996, Carmen returned to work and was given a different job assignment. Although she was still in the sheet metal department, she was assigned to “deburr,” a labor intensive position; her previous position had been “making tags,” which was more like an office job. Harvey was no longer Carmen’s supervisor. Carmen alleged, however, that Harvey began “stalking” her on the job. She took another leave of absence on January 31, 1996.

On March 11, 1996, Carmen filed a second charge of discrimination with the EEOC based on Harvey’s alleged sexual harassment. She again asserted NGV discriminated against her in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Carmen indicated the discrimination took place between the dates of August 1, 1995 and January 31, 1996. The EEOC forwarded a copy of the second charge of discrimination to the TCHR and informed the TCHR that the EEOC would initially investigate the charge. On November 18, 1996, the TCHR issued Carmen a notice of her right to file a civil action. The EEOC issued Carmen a right to sue letter on February 10,1997.

On January 2, 1997, the Williamses filed this suit against NGV.1 Carmen alleged that she was sexually harassed in violation of the Texas Labor Code, and she and Charles each asserted a cause of action for intentional infliction of emotional distress.2 [107]*107The Williamses alleged that NGV was vicariously liable for the actions of its employee, Harvey. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of NGV on Charles’s claim and on Carmen’s claim for sexual harassment occurring prior to October 4, 1995. The trial court later granted a directed verdict for NGV on Carmen’s intentional infliction of emotional distress claim. The trial court submitted Carmen’s claim for sexual harassment after October 4, 1995 to a jury, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of NGV. This appeal followed.

Sexual Haeassment Claim Arising Prior to October 4, 1995

In point of error one, Carmen contends the trial court erred in granting NGV’s motion for partial summary judgment regarding her claim for sexual harassment that occurred prior to October 4, 1995. In its motion for summary judgment, NGV asserted it was entitled to summary judgment on Carmen’s sexual harassment claim under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act (TCHRA)3 because Carmen chose to pursue her harassment complaint against NGV under federal law.4 NGV also asserted that, at a minimum, it was entitled to summary judgment on Carmen’s claim for actions occurring before October 4, 1995 because Carmen included those allegations in the first charge of discrimination she filed with the EEOC and, because she did not file suit within ninety days of the date the EEOC issued a right to sue letter with respect to that charge, she was precluded from challenging any of those actions. The trial court granted NGVs motion for partial summary judgment with respect to Carmen’s claim arising under the TCHRA prior to October 4,1995.

The standards for reviewing a traditional summary judgment are well established. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Nixon v. Mr. Prop. Mgmt. Co., 690 S.W.2d 546, 548-49 (Tex.1985). When reviewing a summary judgment record, this Court applies the following standards:

1. The movant for summary judgment has the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law;
2. In deciding whether there is a disputed material fact issue precluding summary judgment, evidence favorable to the nonmovant will be taken as true; and
3. Every reasonable inference must be indulged in favor of the nonmovant and any doubts resolved in its favor.

Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c); Nixon, 690 S.W.2d at 548-49.

One of the TCHRA’s purposes is correlation of state law with federal law in the area of discrimination in employment. Schroeder v. Tex. Iron Works, Inc., 818 S.W.2d 483, 485 (Tex.1991). Like Title VII, its federal counterpart, the TCHRA prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual with respect to compensation, or the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of race, color, disability, religion, sex, and national origin. See Tex. Lab.Code Ann.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
68 S.W.3d 102, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 4585, 2001 WL 767561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-vought-texapp-2001.