Opinion ID: 20728
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Existence of an Employment Contract

Text: 16 In its Motion for Summary Judgment and Brief in Support, TDMN argues that Byers's 1981 claims should be dismissed because (1) Byers's at-will employment status prevents him from asserting a claim which relies on an underlying employment contract, and (2) Byers has failed to plead the existence of such an employment contract. 2 To sustain a claim under 1981 in this case, Byers must base his allegations on an underlying, enforceable employment contract. 42 U.S.C. 1981. In Paniagua v. City of Galveston, Texas, this Court ruled that at-will employees in Texas have an employment contract with their employers, simply one which may be terminated at will. See Paniagua v. City of Galveston, Texas, 995 F2d 1310, 1313 (5th Cir. 1993). This Court finds that Byers's employment-at-will status does not, taken alone, bar his 1981 claim. 17 Now we address the assertion that Byers's 1981 claim must fail because of an alleged insufficiency in the pleadings, namely that Plaintiff did not plead a contractual relationship in his initial or amended complaint. First, Motions for Summary Judgment are decided on the pleadings and on the summary judgment evidence, including affidavits, depositions, and admissions. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324. Furthermore, courts are to construe summary judgment evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. See Walker v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 853 F.2d 355, 358 (5th Cir. 1988). Second, given the liberal pleading requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a), Byers has pled sufficiently specific facts in his Complaint to establish evidence of an employment contract. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a). (requiring a pleading to contain a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief). Byers's Original Complaint states that Byers was hired by TDMN as a financialanalysis around or about February 13, 1985. Around or about February, 1988, Byers was promoted to general accounting manager. This language is sufficient to establish the existence of an employment contract between Byers and TDMN. Accordingly, this Court refuses to dismiss Plaintiff's 1981 claims based on an alleged failure to sufficiently plead the existence of an employment contract.