Opinion ID: 2633435
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 21

Heading: The Institution of Richards's Claims

Text: Richards filed her administrative complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (the Department) on January 25, 1994. Richards elected to proceed with a civil action, and the Department issued Richards a right-to-sue letter. Richards then filed this civil action against CH2M Hill. When trial began, Richards's claims were (1) disability harassment under the FEHA, (2) disability discrimination under the FEHA, (3) constructive discharge in violation of public policy, and (4) intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Before trial, CH2M Hill moved in limine to exclude evidence of unlawful conduct against Richards that occurred before the limitations period of January 25, 1993. The company also moved to preclude Richards from introducing evidence of purported past or future wage loss. The trial court denied the motions. A six-week jury trial commenced on June 2, 1997. Late in the trial, Richards dismissed her constructive discharge in violation of public policy claim and her claims for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Based on the trial court's ruling that CH2M Hill's conduct constituted a continuing violation, Richards was permitted to introduce evidence of, and seek damages for, the entire five-year period (1988-1993) of alleged harassment and discrimination. Finding CH2M Hill had discriminated against Richards, both in creating a hostile work environment and in failing to reasonably accommodate her disability, the jury awarded her $925,000 in emotional distress damages and $476,000 in economic damages. CH2M Hill moved for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and for a new trial, based in part on the claim that much of the conduct for which it was found liable occurred outside the limitations period. The trial court denied the motion, finding that all the evidence of misconduct introduced at trial was part of a course of conduct. I think you can't look at a hostile work environment without looking at what the environment really was and how it existed. And this one happened to exist over a period of time and over a period of years involving the same problems. CH2M Hill timely appealed. The Court of Appeal reversed. It held that the trial court had misapplied the continuing violation doctrine and had improperly allowed the jury to award damages to Richards for injuries occurring outside the limitations period. The court concluded that the statute of limitations is tolled only up to the point at which Richards knew or should have known that her rights were being violated, and under that test, all of the employer conduct occurring outside the limitations period was time-barred. It further concluded that some unlawful conduct had occurred during the limitations period and remanded the case to the trial court for a redetermination of damages limited to incidents occurring within this period.