Opinion ID: 2611454
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Wrongful Constructive Discharge

Text: The claim for wrongful constructive discharge relates to termination of Reninger and Cohen from Department of Corrections (DOC) employment as a result of their temporary reassignments to hazardous duties. This reassignment chronologically followed, but was distinct from, employment discipline imposed upon them for allegedly misplacing firearms. Hence maintenance of this cause of action is perfectly consistent with a determination of the Personnel Appeals Board that they had misplaced the firearms as well as the DOC order that, as a disciplinary measure, these persons should be temporarily demoted for four months with reduction of paybut not fired. However, they were fired in fact when they could not have been fired in law. Such is the very essence of wrongful constructive discharge. This post discipline reassignment was a decision of supervisory staff, and was never reviewed administratively. It was that unilateral reassignment which resulted in the constructive discharge. The majority therefore completely misstates the basis of the constructive discharge claim which is in no way dependent upon any finding that the discipline was unjustified, much less that they were set up. Compare Majority at 787. Contrary to the claim of the majority, this wrongful constructive discharge does contravene public policy (Majority at 787) because pursuant to the civil service statute, a civil servant may not be fired absent the requisite procedure which ends in a formal determination that firing is appropriate. But there was neither such procedure undertaken nor determination made that they be fired. To the contrary Reninger and Cohen were constructively terminated, as found the jury, and wrongfully so, because their termination was in violation of the civil service statute as they were fired in fact under circumstance where they could not be fired in law. Notwithstanding, the majority overturns the jury determination that these employees were victims of wrongful constructive discharge solely because the majority mistakenly asserts Reninger and Cohen have not alleged or proved they were terminated for a reason that contravenes public policy. Majority at 787. I beg to differ. In Thompson v. St. Regis Paper Co., 102 Wash.2d 219, 233, 685 P.2d 1081 (1984), we held an employer can be liable in tort if he or she discharges an employee for a reason that contravenes a clear legislatively or judicially recognized mandate of public policy. [1] Determining what qualifies as a clear mandate of public policy is a question of law. Gardner v. Loomis Armored, Inc., 128 Wash.2d 931, 937, 913 P.2d 377 (1996). There are four elements of a wrongful termination tort. The plaintiffs must prove (1) the existence of a clear public policy; (2) that discouraging the conduct in which they engaged would jeopardize the public policy; (3) that the dismissal violated the public policy; and (4) that no overriding justification for the dismissal existed. Id. at 941, 913 P.2d 377. As the Supreme Court of Wisconsin stated, [P]ublic policy must be evidenced by a constitutional or statutory provision. Brockmeyer v. Dun & Bradstreet, 113 Wis.2d 561, 335 N.W.2d 834, 840 (1983). Here, the jury found Cohen and Reninger were forced into intolerable conditions when they were transferred to remote cellblocks housing dangerous inmates, necessarily concluding their resignations were the result of a constructive discharge. Such factual finding was well within the province of the jury and certainly based on substantial evidence. Dismissal of Cohen and Reninger, civil servants, by DOC violates public policy unless accomplished through overt compliance with the civil service statute and regulations. According to administrative code provisions in effect at the time, adopted pursuant to RCW 41.06.186, plaintiffs could be dismissed only for specific reasons, WAC 356-34-010, and pursuant to a specified procedure. For example, the DOC must notify an employee in writing of the specified charges within 15 calendar days prior to the effective date of the dismissal. WAC 356-34-040. While the DOC followed correct procedures for temporary demotion, it neither sought nor purported to follow procedures necessary to effect an outright dismissal. Nor was dismissal the overt sanction imposed. However, termination by constructive discharge was the result (as found the jury) when Cohen and Reninger both resigned rather than report to their temporary assignments in dangerous work areas. These discharges were therefore unsupported by, and contrary to, statutory and administrative provisions which allowed temporary demotion but not outright termination. In sum, if an employee has a legal right not to be fired, then he or she also has a legal right not to be constructively discharged. Such is the universal rule for both public and private employees. Compare, e.g., Fleming v. Pima County, 141 Ariz. 149, 685 P.2d 1301, 1305-06 (1984) (civil servant has valid claim against government employer for constructive discharge). These public employees were constructively discharged in violation of specific provisions of the civil service statute. Such is a matter of public interest since (1) any discharge in violation of statute is of public concern and (2) the civil service statute, in particular, was enacted precisely to accomplish an alleged public purpose. Therefore constructive discharge of a public employee in violation of an applicable statute is a much more straightforward violation of public policy than is the termination of a private employee for whistle blowing activity not in clear violation of an express statutory mandate. Compare Dicomes v. State, 113 Wash.2d 612, 617, 782 P.2d 1002 (1989) ( [A]bsent some prior legislative or judicial expression on the subject,  public policy may nonetheless be violated by discharge for whistle blowing.) (quoting Thompson v. St. Regis Paper Co., 102 Wash.2d 219, 232, 685 P.2d 1081 (1984)). By its holding the majority consigns civil servants to second class citizenship. The majority denies civil servants any remedy for wrongful discharge in violation of statute, effectively immunizing government employers from accountability for violations of state law, but without statutory authority, and contrary to the statutory repeal of sovereign immunity. RCW 4.92.090. Such a doubtful step is for the legislature, not the courts. Compare Const. art. I, § 12 (No law shall be passed granting to any citizen, class of citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which upon the same terms shall not equally belong to all citizens, or corporations.).