Opinion ID: 492411
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Institution of the Action

Text: 42 Rathbun testified at trial about the use of derogatory language toward her based on her sex and national origin that she made known to her superiors and the school board. She described two attacks on her, one sexual. There was various testimony that Rathbun's superiors considered certain work that she was capable of doing man's work. There was evidence that went toward the issue of retaliatory transfer, even if it was legally insufficient. While Rathbun's attorneys did not do a good job of presenting testimony from witnesses favorable to her, neither did the basis for her case rest entirely on her own testimony. 43 The school board defendants concede that the OCRC's finding of probable cause is some evidence justifying Rathbun's case, but they argue that the findings should be given little weight. See Bowers v. Kraft Foods Corp., 606 F.2d 816, 818 (8th Cir.1979). The district judge's sanction opinion did not even consider the fact that the OCRC had issued a probable cause finding against the school board that implicated some of the non-school board defendants. 6 The probable cause finding of the OCRC, though not dispositive, lends support for Rathbun's belief that she had a legal claim of discrimination and did not pursue her action in bad faith. See Mitchell, supra, 805 F.2d at 847 (reversing an award of attorneys' fees to defendants on grounds of bad faith and frivolousness following Rule 41(b) dismissal of Title VII action where EEOC had issued probable cause determination); Badillo v. Central Steel & Wire Co., 717 F.2d 1160, 1165 (7th Cir.1983) (upholding denial of an award of attorneys' fees to prevailing defendant in Title VII case where plaintiff put misplaced reliance on EEOC probable cause determination); see also Bowers, supra (reversing an award of attorneys' fees to defendants on grounds of frivolousness where EEOC had issued right-to-sue letter). 44 Rathbun was not completely unjustified in believing she was the subject of discrimination and a sexually harassing and abusive work environment. There is no evidence that Rathbun knew that the individual school board members (even assuming she did sue them in their individual capacity) could not be held liable for acts of discrimination, whether she informed them of the acts or not. See Jones, supra (abuse of discretion to award attorneys' fees under section 1988 or inherent power in race discrimination case in which employee failed to communicate alleged mistreatment to employer and joined individual defendants as agents of employer); cf. Tarter, supra, 742 F.2d at 987-88 (abuse of discretion to award attorneys' fees under section 1988 where only parts of plaintiff's case without merit). Combining the OCRC finding with Rathbun's testimony and her attorneys' advice, it was clearly erroneous to find that Rathbun brought her discrimination claim in bad faith. See Haynie, supra, 799 F.2d at 242. 45