Opinion ID: 2275449
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: SALAZAR v. KORP II LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ETC.

Text: Korp II Limited Partnership owns and operates an outpatient surgery clinic in Louisville, Kentucky. Appellant Mauricio Salazar is a licensed physician with staff privileges to perform surgeries at the clinic. Jill E. Townsend was employed by Korp II as a scrub technician and was assigned to assist Salazar in the performance of his surgeries. Townsend filed suit against Korp II in the Jefferson Circuit Court alleging a violation of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and seeking damages for hostile work environment harassment alleged to have been perpetrated against her by Salazar. [1] KRS 344.040(1); KRS 344.450; Meyers v. Chapman Printing Co., Inc., supra n. 1, at 820-23. In her discovery deposition, Townsend described occasions when Salazar pulled her down on his lap, placed his hands on her breasts, placed his arm around her, touched her buttocks, rubbed his hand against her abdomen, and held her hand behind her back in such a fashion that she could not pull away from him. Korp II filed a third-party complaint for indemnity against Salazar. The trial judge dismissed the third-party complaint on grounds that KRS 344.450 creates a cause of action only against an employer and does not provide a civil remedy against an individual perpetrator who is not the plaintiff's employer. In a 2-1 decision, the Court of Appeals reversed and remanded, holding that while a claim for contribution has essentially been abolished by KRS 411.182, Korp II has a viable claim for common law indemnity against Salazar for any damages it might have to pay to Townsend. Like Hall Contracting, Korp II has settled the claim filed against it by Townsend, so the only remaining issue is Korp II's indemnity claim against Salazar.