Opinion ID: 2166544
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Liability of McPhee for Discrimination

Text: The THRA states that [i]t is a discriminatory practice for a person or for two (2) or more persons to . . . (2)[a]id, abet, incite, compel or command a person to engage in any of the acts or practices declared discriminatory by this chapter. Tenn.Code Ann. § 4-21-301(2)(2005). In applying this section, we have held that individual liability may exist under the common law civil liability theory of aiding and abetting. See Carr v. United Parcel Serv., 955 S.W.2d 832, 836 (Tenn. 1997), overruled on other grounds by Parker, 2 S.W.3d at 176. The common law civil liability theory requires that the defendant knew that his companions' conduct constituted a breach of duty, and that he gave substantial assistance or encouragement to them in their acts. Id. (quoting Cecil v. Hardin, 575 S.W.2d 268, 272 (Tenn.1978)). Accordingly, imposing accomplice liability for a supervisor in a hostile work environment claim requires evidence that the supervisor encouraged the employer to engage in employment-related discrimination or prevented the employer from taking corrective action. Id. at 836. In the present case, McPhee denied most of Allen's allegations, but he did not try to inhibit or impair the investigation that was conducted by the TBR from October 8, 2003, through October 29, 2003. In addition, McPhee did not discourage or prevent the State from taking remedial measures, as he accepted the sanctions that were imposed upon him. Notwithstanding the evidence, Allen argues that we should adopt a new rule imposing individual liability based on a supervisor's personal participation in the actions that created the hostile work environment. Such a rule is inconsistent with Carr and the common law theory of aiding and abetting embraced in Tennessee Code Annotated section 4-21-301(2). As we said, [a] supervisor . . . may be individually liable for encouraging or preventing the employer from taking corrective action. Absent such allegations, [supervisor-defendants] [cannot] be held individually liable under a hostile work environment theory. Carr, 955 S.W.2d at 838. In sum, we decline to extend individual liability to supervisors who participate in the behavior creating the hostile work environment absent a showing that the supervisor's conduct encouraged the employer to engage in employment-related discrimination or prevented the employer from taking corrective action. Because the evidence did not satisfy this standard, we hold that the trial court properly granted summary judgment to McPhee on this issue.