Opinion ID: 1058736
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Outrageous or Intolerable Conduct

Text: We conclude that Almy sufficiently alleged the element of outrageous conduct perpetrated by Grisham, Alan, and Donna. This conduct is described in Almy's allegations that the three defendants devised a scheme to falsely accuse Almy of writing the letters and that, in furtherance of this scheme, Alan and Grisham provided Liebman with the confidential documents improperly obtained from St. Anne's. Almy further alleged that Alan and Donna knew or should have known that Grisham inappropriately influenced the wording of Liebman's report, causing Liebman to issue a false report implicating Almy. In addition, Almy alleged that Grisham, Alan, and Donna caused Officer Grimes to confront Almy by providing false information that a handwriting examiner had determined that Almy was the author of the letters. In reviewing these allegations, we acknowledge that the term outrageous does not objectively describe particular acts but instead represents an evaluation of behavior. Russo, 241 Va. at 26, 400 S.E.2d at 162. Nevertheless, in the absence of an objective definition of the term, we must make this threshold assessment in determining the sufficiency of Almy's allegations. See id. We hold that reasonable persons could view the conduct alleged, if proved, as being so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency, and to be regarded as atrocious, and utterly intolerable in a civilized community. See Russo, 241 Va. at 27, 400 S.E.2d at 162 (quoting Ruth, 237 Va. at 368, 377 S.E.2d at 413). When reasonable persons could view alleged conduct in this manner and the other elements of the tort are properly pleaded, the controversy must be resolved at a trial on the merits of the claim, rather than by a circuit court on demurrer. See Burroughs v. Keffer, 272 Va. 162, 168, 630 S.E.2d 297, 301 (2006); Chapman v. City of Virginia Beach, 252 Va. 186, 191, 475 S.E.2d 798, 801 (1996); Womack, 215 Va. at 342, 210 S.E.2d at 148.