Opinion ID: 162752
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Lathrop

Text: In challenging the district court’s conclusion, Mr. Freeman relies on Lathrop. There, he notes, the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision dismissing a claim for workers’ compensation retaliation even though the plaintiff had been placed on a “medical absence” rather than being formally fired. Id. at 1368. Mr. Freeman maintains that his placement on EIS status is analogous to the medical leave in Lathrop. We disagree, for Mr. Freeman reads Lathrop much too broadly. In that case, the plaintiff’s theory was that the “medical absence” constituted a constructive discharge. See id. at 1369. He alleged that his employer had refused -13- to allow him to return to work even though he had obtained permission from a doctor to do so. Thus, Lathrop does not abandon the rule that, in order to assert a wrongful discharge claim under Colorado law, an employee must assert at least a constructive discharge. Under Colorado law, the determination of whether an employer’s actions constitute a constructive discharge depends upon whether a reasonable person under the same or similar circumstances would view the working conditions as intolerable. See Boulder Valley School Dist. R-2 v. Price, 805 P.2d 1085, 1088 (Colo. 1991), overruled in part on other grounds by, Community Hosp. v. Fail, 969 P.2d 667 (Colo. 1998). The subjective view of the individual employee is not determinative. Id. Here, Mr. Freeman has not offered any evidence from which a reasonable factfinder could conclude that he was constructively discharged. The record indicates that Mr. Freeman had the right to come back to work if he completed a course of psychotherapy and an alcohol treatment program and that he retained seniority and other benefits. Although Mr. Freeman stated in his own affidavit and deposition testimony that Dr. Nicolletti’s evaluation was biased and unreliable, Mr. Freeman’s conclusory statements are insufficient to controvert Dr. Nicoletti’s professional opinion. Moreover, aside from these conclusory assertions, Mr. Freeman has failed to offer evidence indicating that the conditions that United imposed on him while on EIS—obtaining regular and ongoing -14- psychotherapy and anger management and participating in an alcohol treatment program—would be viewed by a reasonable person as intolerable In fact, United appears to have gone to great lengths to assist Mr. Freeman.