Opinion ID: 688670
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: NewMarket and Gamblin:

Text: 17 Plaintiff urges that NewMarket Media Corporation and its employee Sandy Gamblin interfered intentionally with the employment contract by their recommendation to the president of Plaintiff's employer that he be discharged. As mentioned above, NewMarket was hired as a management consultant by the employer and Sandy Gamblin was hired to carry out that responsibility and so acted. 18 The authorities hold that in these circumstances the consultant, and its officers and employees, are in the same position as the employer's officials and managers in relation to the employment contract. They are in substance treated, for the purposes under consideration, as parties to the contract and cannot become liable for a privileged interference with the contract. May v. Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co., 370 P.2d 390 (Kan.), holds that such persons are not considered third parties. Thus summary judgment for this claimed interference was a proper resolution as a matter of law. See also Jones v. Intermountain Power Project, 794 F.2d 546 (10th Cir.); Fletcher v. Wesley Medical Center, 585 F.Supp. 1260 (Kan.). 19 There was also no evidence to show there was any malicious conduct by Defendants Gamblin or NewMarket. Turner v. Halliburton Co., 722 P.2d 1106 (Kan.). See also Reazin v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield, 899 F.2d 951, 977 (10th Cir.). The evidence shows these Defendants acted with justification. 20 The showing of Plaintiff's trades, his excessive exercise of management prerogatives, and the poor financial performance of the station under his direction all demonstrate that the recommendations made for his termination were justified. 21