Opinion ID: 2625105
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Brown v. Scott Paper Worldwide Company

Text: These facts are relevant to the common issue of supervisor liability. In 1979, Beverly Brown (Brown) began work in the paper mill at the Scott Paper Worldwide Company (Scott Paper) in Everett, Washington. She was the first woman employed in the paper mill and remains one of the few women there. On May 1, 1995, Brown was promoted to the highest union position in the mill and the lead position on the paper machine. Despite this, Brown says she endured years of sexual harassment at the paper mill where she was shunned by coworkers, was the victim of pranks, and was referred to in derogatory, sexist terms such as boobs and beaver Brown. In June 1991, James Lockhard (Lockhard), Brown's human resources manager, temporarily disqualified Brown from advancement in the paper mill on the grounds she lacked technical knowledge and leadership skills, lacked the ability to work as a team member, and overreacted to job improvement counseling. This was the only time Scott Paper had disqualified anyone within the paper machines of the mill. Brown believed certain Scott Paper managers were setting her up for termination. Scott Paper rescinded the disqualification after Brown filed a grievance with her union. In June 1994, Lockhard suspended Brown for kicking a coworker. Following an investigation, Scott Paper offered to return Brown to work if she acknowledged and developed a plan to control her emotions, cope with job stress, and work as a team member. In response, Brown submitted a letter from Donald Uslan (Uslan), a psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor with whom Brown consulted after her suspension. Uslan proposed a six-month plan of psychotherapy, biofeedback, medical evaluation, and anger management therapy with his office. After meeting with Brown to evaluate her efforts, Scott Paper rejected the proposed plan, stating: Mr. Uslan's counseling plan, developed at the request of your attorney, is excellent.... [H]owever, ... Mr. Uslan is not the one who will have to interact with Scott employees and managers in the future. You are the one that had to acknowledge your problems and develop a plan to correct them to avoid further disruptions in the mill. Unfortunately, we did not hear any evidence that you had a plan for successful reentry into the work place. You could not articulate the significant problems that [led] you to conflict and you continue to minimize the assault both in terms of severity and through fabrication of provocation. This continuing deflection of fault calls into question the sincerity of your apology and does not give the Company any assurance unprovoked assault or other interpersonal problems will not occur again in the future. You have failed to convince the Company per the terms of [the offer to return to work letter] and the Suspension is converted to Discharge. Clerk's Papers at 84. In response, Brown filed a grievance with her union. At the hearing, Uslan testified that Brown was clinically depressed. Following a union arbitrator's decision, Brown was returned to work in her previously assigned position in January 1995. Less than one month later, Brown filed suit in superior court claiming she had been sexually harassed and discriminated against on the basis of sex and disability. She named Scott Paper and six of its supervisors (Supervisors) as defendants. The Supervisors moved for summary judgment, contending they were not employers under chapter 49.60 RCW. The superior court agreed, dismissing Brown's claims against the individually named Supervisors. Brown appealed the summary judgment order. The Court of Appeals reversed, determining the Legislature never intended to foreclose actions against individual supervisors. Brown, 98 Wash.App. 349, 989 P.2d 1187. The Supervisors petitioned this court for review, which we granted and consolidated with Raymond v. Pacific Chemical.