Opinion ID: 1768254
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Minyard

Text: Minyard argues that, as a matter of law and policy, an employee who defames another employee to his employer during an investigation for workplace misconduct is not acting in the course and scope of his employment. Minyard contends that an employer is liable for its employee's tort only when the tortious act falls within the scope of the employee's general authority in furtherance of the employer's business and for the accomplishment of the object for which the employee was hired. See Robertson Tank Lines, Inc. v. Van Cleave, 468 S.W.2d 354, 357 (Tex. 1971); Lyon v. Allsup's Convenience Stores, Inc., 997 S.W.2d 345, 347 (Tex.App.-Fort Worth 1999, no pet.). Minyard argues that this case is analogous to Lyon in which an employee sued Allsup's for a supervisor's defamation. Lyon, 997 S.W.2d at 347. The Lyon court of appeals affirmed the trial court's summary judgment order, holding that the supervisor's defamation obviously was not done to accomplish any object for which [he] was hired. Lyon, 997 S.W.2d at 348. Here, Minyard contends, Heflin's lie to Flowers about Goodman kissing him was likewise not done to accomplish any object for which he was hired. Nevertheless, Minyard asserts, the court of appeals ignored Lyon and other Texas precedent to hold to the contrary. See, e.g., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Lane, 31 S.W.3d 282 (Tex. App Corpus Christi 2000, pet. denied); ITT Consumer Fin. Corp. v. Tovar, 932 S.W.2d 147 (Tex.App.-El Paso 1996, writ denied); Saenz v. Family Sec. Ins. Co. of Am., 786 S.W.2d 110 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 1990, no writ). Minyard further contends that there is a critical distinction in Texas between defaming someone to one's employer and defaming someone for one's employer. Compare Lyon, 997 S.W.2d at 345 with Hooper v. Pitney Bowes, Inc., 895 S.W.2d 773, 777 (Tex.App.-Texarkana 1995, writ denied). Minyard points out that, in Lyon, the employee lied to further his own ends, and thus, the employer was not liable. See Lyon, 997 S.W.2d at 348. In contrast, in Hooper, the employer's investigators lied based on their belief that they were acting in the employer's interests, thereby making the employer liable. See Hooper, 895 S.W.2d at 777. Thus, according to Minyard, Lyon, not Hooper, applies, because Heflin lied to and not for Minyard.