Opinion ID: 392689
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Alleged Waiver of Breach

Text: 15 Dr. Rhodes argues that, if his failure to provide full psychiatric services for the district constituted a breach of contract otherwise justifying his termination, the district's employment and payment of him for four months and acceptance of his limited services constituted a waiver of it. Several grounds foreclose this argument. 16 It does not appear that Dr. Rhodes timely raised this issue of waiver in the court below. The original complaint and the pretrial order contain no mention of waiver of breach. The issue of waiver was not litigated and decided in the district court; no manifest injustice would inhere in our refusing to consider it on appeal. Even ignoring procedural irregularity, the want of substance in this waiver claim makes appellate dismissal correct. If its actions could be considered indicative of waiver, the district would have waived at most any right to recover salary paid Rhodes for the four months from March 1 to July 1. The district's patience and helpfulness to Rhodes cannot be taken as indications of an acceptance of continued partial performance by the doctor or of waiver of its right to employ a staff physician willing to practice medicine. The district's actions during the four months indicate an unwavering demand that Rhodes secure a state medical license. Finally, the months of delay and partial performance were the grounds for the June 1 notice of termination but not the sole instance of plaintiff's breach of contract. Dr. Rhodes breached his contract on July 2 with his refusal, once licensed, to perform psychiatric services for the district. Any prior actions by the district arguably indicative of waiver of plaintiff's dilatory licensure efforts cannot be construed as waiver of this subsequent breach.