Opinion ID: 609835
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The City's Liability for Goldsmith's Transfer

Text: 29 The City also argues that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law on Goldsmith's Title VII claim because it cannot be held liable for the acts of Mayor Shell. We find this argument to be without merit. Under Title VII, an employer may be found liable for a Title VII violation upon a judicial finding that the respondent has intentionally engaged in or is intentionally engaging in an unlawful employment practice charged in the complaint. See 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e-5(g). Title VII defines a potentially liable employer as any person engaged in an industry affecting commerce ... and any agent of such a person. 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e(b) (emphasis added). 8 Goldsmith predicates her Title VII claim against the City on the City's liability for the unlawful employment practices of Mayor Shell as its agent. 9 30 Because Title VII does not define the term agent, we turn to the common law principles of agency to determine whether Mayor Shell was acting as an agent of the City when he transferred Goldsmith such that the City may be held liable for his actions. See Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 477 U.S. 57, 72, 106 S.Ct. 2399, 2408, 91 L.Ed.2d 49 (1986); Sparks v. Pilot Freight Carriers, Inc., 830 F.2d 1554, 1558 (11th Cir.1987). Under these principles, an agent is one who agrees to act on behalf of another, subject to the other's control. See RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF AGENCY § 1 (1958). An employee is generally considered an agent of his or her employer. See id. at § 2. The City concedes that Mayor Shell acted as a City employee, and therefore as an agent of the City, in conducting his duties as mayor. 10 31 Once an agency relationship has been established, general agency principles also govern the circumstances in which the principal will be held liable for the acts of its agents under Title VII. See Vinson, 477 U.S. at 72, 106 S.Ct. at 2408. At trial, Goldsmith proceeded on the theory that the City was directly liable for Mayor Shell's transfer decision either because (1) Mayor Shell was acting within the scope of his employment in making the transfer decision, or (2) Mayor Shell used his agency relationship with the City to assist him in his unlawful retaliation. We agree that the City would be directly liable for the retaliation under Title VII in either situation. See Sparks, 830 F.2d at 1558-59; RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF AGENCY § 219 (1958). 32 At trial, Goldsmith elicited evidence that the City had delegated final authority to Mayor Shell to make employment decisions within the City Clerk's Office. The City offered no evidence of any limitations on Mayor Shell's authority in this regard. On this evidence, a reasonable factfinder could have found the City liable for Mayor Shell's transfer decision under either of Goldsmith's theories of direct liability. See Vance v. Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co., 863 F.2d 1503, 1512-15 (11th Cir.1989); Sparks, 830 F.2d at 1557-60. Therefore, the district court did not err in submitting the City's liability to the factfinder in this case.