# FILED October 2, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N TH E C O U R T O FA PPEA LSO FTEN N ESSEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

M AR K M c C AI N, ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9603- C

V

- 00099 ) Pl a i ntif f

- A

pp e lla nt , ) BLOUNTLAW

) v. ) HON. W . DALEYOUNG, ) J UDGE, AI R POR THONDA a n dBOB ) R UTHER FOR D, ) A FFI R M ED ) AND D e f e n d a nt s - A

pp e l l ees . ) R

EM ANDED

K EV I N W . S H EPH ER D , M a r y v ille , for Pl a i ntif f

- A pp e lla nt . BEEC HER A. BAR

TLETT, J R. , a n dADR I ENNE L. ANDER

S ON, KR

AM ER , R AYS ON, LEAKE, R

ODGER S& M OR GAN, Kn o x v i l l e , f or De f e n d a nt s - A pp e l l ees .

O PI N I O N

Fr a nks . J .

I n t hi s a c t i on a s ki ng da m a ge s f or a l l e ge d r e t a l i a t or y di s c ha r ge , t he Tr i a l C our t gr a nt e d e m

pl oye r s um m a r y j udgm

e nt , a nd pl a i nt i f f ha s a ppe a l e d. W e a f f i r m

. Pl a i nt i f f w

a s hi r e d by A

i r por t H

onda a s a us e d c a r s a l e s m a n i n Fe br ua r y of 1994. H i s i m m e di a t e s upe r vi s or w a s de f e nda nt Bob R

ut he r f or d. Pl a i nt i f f t e s t i f i e d i n hi s de pos i t i on t ha t he di s c ove r e d t ha t f e l l ow e m pl oye e s w

e r e f or gi ng c us t om

e r s ’ na m

e s t o c ont r a c t s f or s e r vi c e s t he y di d2

not r e que s t . H

e r e por t e d t hi s t o t he ge ne r a l m a na ge r f or A i r por t H

onda , a nd t o J ohn St i dha m , a n a s s i s t a nt us e d c a r m a na ge r . A

ppr oxi m

a t e l y s i x w

e e ks a f t e r pl a i nt i f f r e por t e d t he f or ge r i e s , he w

a s t e r m

i na t e d by R

ut he r f or d. Pl a i ntif f in s i s t s the r e is a di s p ut e dis s u e o f m a t e r i a l f a c t a nd t he gr a nt i ng of s um m a r y j udgm

e nt w a s i n e rror . A

t r i a l c our t s houl d gr a nt s um m a r y j udgm

e nt onl y i f t he m ova nt de m

ons t r a t e s t he r e a r e no ge nui ne i s s ue s of m a t e r i a l f a c t a n dth a t the m o v i n gp a r t yis e ntitle dto j ud g m e nt a s a m

a t t e r o f la w

. T. R. C. P. R

u l e 5 6 . 0 3 . Th e c o ur t m u s t ta ke th e s t r o n g e s t le g itim a t e v i e w

o f the e v i de n c e in f a vor of t he nonm ovi ng pa r t y, a l l ow a l l r e a s ona bl e i nf e r e nc e s i n f a vor of t ha t pa r t y, a nd di s c a r d a l l c ount e r va i l i ng e v i de n ce. B

y r dv. H

a l l , 847 S . W

. 2d 208 ( Te nn. 1993) . Th e r e qu i s i t e el e m e nt s o f a r e t a l i a t or ydi s c h a r g e a r e s e t f or t hi n Ande r s on v . St andar d Re gi s t e r C o. : ( 1) The pl a i nt i f f w a s a n e m

pl oye e of t he de f e nda nt a t the tim

e o f the inj ur y ; ( 2 ) the p l a i ntif f m a de a c l a i m a ga i ns t t he de f e nda nt f or w or ke r s ’ c om pe ns a t i on be ne f i t s ; ( 3) t he de f e nda nt t e r m i na t e d t he pl a i nt i f f ’ s e m pl oym e nt ; a nd ( 4) t he c l a i m f or w or ke r s ’ c om

pe ns a t i on be ne f i t s w a s a s ubs t a nt i a l f a c t or inth e e m

p l o y e r ’ s m

o tiv a tio ntote r m i n a t e the e m pl oye e ’ s e m

pl oym e nt . 857 S . W

. 2d 555, 558 ( Te nn. 1993) . I n t hi s c a s e , t he Tr i a l C our t c onc l ude d t he p l a i nt i f f f a i l e dtos h o w the f o ur t he l e m

e nt, ac a u s a l c onne c t i on be t w

e e n t he r e por t i ng of t he a l l e ge d f or ge r i e s a nd hi s di s m

i s s a l. A

lth o u g hthe e l e m

e nt s in Ande r s oni nvol ve a w or ke r s ’ c om

pe ns a t i on c a s e , t he y a r e i n a c c or d w i t h t he r e qui r e m

e nt s t ha t ha ve be e n e nunc i a t e d f or ot he r t ype s of3

c om m on- l a w r e t a l i a t or y di s c ha r ge s ui t s . See, e. g . , Reyn o l ds v . O z ar k M ot or Li ne s , I nc . , 887 S . W . 2d 822, 825 ( Te nn. 1994) . The pl a i nt i f f be a r s t he bur de n of s how i ng t he c a us a l r e l a t i o n s hi p , Ande r s on. I n t hi s c a s e , t he onl y e vi de nc e l i nki ng t he di s m

i s s a l a nd t he ?

w hi s tle b l o w

i n g ? w a s p l a i ntif f ’ s r e por t i ng t he a l l e ge d f or ge r y t o a s upe r vi s or a nd hi s t e r m i na t i on f r om

t he e m

pl oym e nt s i x w

e e ks l a t e r . Evi de nc e of c a us a t i on r e qui r e s m or e t ha n t he f a c t s s how i ng e m pl oym e nt , t he e xe r c i s e of r i ght s , a nd a s ubs e que nt di s c ha r ge . T

hom as on v . Be t t e r - Bi l t Al um i num Pr oduc t s , I nc . , 831 S . W

. 2d 291, 293 ( Te nn. A pp. 1992) . I t r e qui r e s di r e c t e v i de n ce or co m

p e l l i n gci r c um

s t a nt i a l evi de n ce. I d. Al s ose e M o s k a l v. Fi r s t T

e n n e s s ee Ba n k , 810 S . W . 2d 509 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1991) . The pl a i nt i f f ’ s m e r e ? be l i e f or unde r s t a ndi ng ? of w hy he w a s di s m

i s s e d, i s not s uf f i c i e nt t o c r e a t e a ge nui ne i s s ue o f m a t e r i a l f act . N

e w s o m v. T ext r o nAe r o s t r u c t u r e s , 924 S . W . 2d 87 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1995) . The Te nne s s e e Supr e m e C our t ha s r e j ect e dt h e i dea t h a t a s h or t l e n g t ho f t i m e b e t w eent h e i n c i de nt a n dth e di s m i s s a l c o n s titut e s a pr i m a f ac i e s how

i ng o f r e t a l i a t i o n . C onat s e r v . C

l ar k s v i l l e C

oc a- C ol a , 920 S . W

. 2d 646 ( Te nn. 1995) ( di s m i s s a l t hr e e da ys a f t e r r e t ur ni ng t o w or k f r om i nj ur y r e c upe r a t i on w a s i ns uf f i c i e nt t o s how c a us a l c onne c t i on) .

W hile th e C

onat s e r c o ur t qu o t e da tr e a tis e s t a tin g ? pr oxi m i t y i n t i m

e w i t hout e vi de nc e of s a t i s f a c t or y j ob pe r f or m

a nc e doe s not m

a ke a pr i m

a f ac i e cas e , ?

s om e e vi de nc e of pl a i nt i f f ’ s s a t i s f a c t or y j ob pe r f or m a nc e i s not c om

pe l l i ng c i r c um s t a nt i a l ev i de n ce o f t h e cau s a l co nn ect i o n . A c c or di ngl y, w

e c onc l ude t he Tr i a l C our t di d not e r r i n4

gr a nt i ng s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt t o de f e nda nt . Pl a i nt i f f ur ge s t ha t t he Tr i a l C our t s houl d ha ve gr a nt e d hi s m

ot i on f or a c ont i nua nc e . The m ot i on w

a s m a de on t he da t e of t he he a r i ng f or s um m a r y j udgm

e nt . The pl a i nt i f f a r gue s t he m

ot i on s houl d ha ve be e n gr a nt e d, be c a us e unt i l t he m ot i on f or s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt w a s f i l e d, de f e nda nt ha d not de l i v e r e ddi s c o v e r ym a t e r i a l s r e qu e s t e d . The t r i a l c our t ha s br oa d di s c r e t i on i nde t e r m i ni n g w he t he r t o gr a nt a r e que s t f or c ont i nua nc e . Bar be r and M c M ur r y , I nc . V

. T op- F l i t e D e v e l opm

e nt C orpor at i on, I nc . , 720 S . W . 2d 469, 471 ( Te nn. A pp. 1986) . I n or de r t o de m ons t r a t e a n a bus e of di s c r e t i on, a pa r t y m us t s how

s om e pr ej udi c e or s ur pr i s e w

hi c ha r i s e s o ut o f the tr i a l c o ur t ’ s f a ilur e to gr a nt a c ont i nua nc e . C om m i s s i one r of D

epar t m e nt of Tr ans por t at i on v . H al l , 635 S . W

. 2d 110 ( Te nn. 1982) . M os t of t he l a t e f i l e d di s c ove r y de a l t w i t h pr ovi ng t he f or ge r y, a n a l l e ga t i on w

hi c h w a s t o be a s s um

e d t r ue f or t he pur pos e s of t he s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt he a r i ng. The e xhi bi t s w hi c h w e r e r e l e v a nt t ot h e hear i n gw e r e av a i l a b l e f or r e vi e w b yt h e a pp e l l a nt f or s e v e r a l w eek s . Th e r e w

a s n opr e j u di ce f r o m t h e Tr i a l C

our t ’ s f a i l ur e t o gr a nt a c ont i nua nc e . A c c or di ngl y, w

e f i nd no a bus e of di s c r e t i on.

D e f e nda nt s ha ve r a i s e d a n i s s ue w hi c h w e f i nd t o be w i t hout m

e r i t a nd t he r e i s no ne e d t o a ddr e s s t he i s s ue . The j udgm

e nt of t he Tr i a l C our t i s a f f i r m

e d, t he c o s t o f t h e app eal i s as s e s s e dt oapp e l l a nt , an dt h e cau s e r e m a n de d .5 ________________________ H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J . CONC UR:

___________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J .

___________________________ C h a r l e s D

. Su s a n o , J r ., J .