Opinion ID: 1454051
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: January 20 meeting between Michael and Henry

Text: Caterpillar employees observed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on January 19, 2004, so the next working day after January 16 fell on January 20. The events of that day are the basis for the bulk of Michael's claims. On the morning of January 20, Henry scheduled an 11:00 a.m. meeting with Michael. Henry asserts that one of the purposes of the meeting was to discuss Michael's unauthorized absence on January 16, but Michael disputes this, stating that her understanding was that the meeting was solely to discuss business-related matters. Michael acknowledges that, at 11:05 a.m., she had not yet arrived at Henry's office for their scheduled meeting. Instead, Henry located Michael at another meeting that had run over. Henry asked Michael at that point when she planned to arrive for their 11:00 a.m. meeting. According to Michael, Henry voiced this inquiry in a very aggressive tone that rudely interrupted the meeting Michael was then attending. Michael replied that she would meet with Henry in five minutes. McGhee and Holland, who saw Henry looking for Michael, reported that Henry appeared angry at the time. Michael testified in her deposition that she arrived at Henry's office at approximately 11:15 a.m. What transpired next is the subject of dispute between the parties. Michael asserts that she began the meeting by apologizing for being late, but that Ms. Henry became very aggressive, started saying yeah yeah you are going to be sorry . . . then pointed a finger in Ms. Michael's face and got so close to Ms. Michael that she could smell the nicotine from her cigarettes on her breath. According to Michael, Henry then started jumping up and down in her chair saying you are going to pay no matter what. At that point, Michael allegedly told Henry that she did not feel comfortable in the meeting and requested that a third party from human resources be called to join them. Henry purportedly complied with this request by contacting Sweeney, but was only able to leave a message for her. Michael testified in her deposition that she then left the room because she felt threatened, felt like Ms. Henry wanted to physically harm her, felt nervous and uncomfortable. Henry's account of the meeting differs significantly. She asserts that Michael was the aggressor, raising her voice during the meeting, refusing to answer questions, slapping her hand on Henry's desk, interrupting Henry, and criticizing her management skills. Following the meeting, both Michael and Henry contacted Caterpillar's human resources department. Michael lodged a complaint describing Henry's behavior as noted above, but made no mention of any race-based discriminatory animus. Henry, too, proceeded directly to human resources and reported what she viewed as Michael's inappropriate behavior.