Opinion ID: 167974
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Compliance with complaint procedures

Text: 19 Fairfield also contends that punitive damages were not warranted because McInnis failed to follow Fairfield's complaint procedure. Under Faragher and Ellerth, an employer is shielded from vicarious liability for Title VII violations where no tangible employment action was taken against the employee if it can prove a two-pronged affirmative defense: 1) the employer exercised reasonable care to prevent and correct promptly any sexually harassing behavior, and 2) the plaintiff unreasonably failed to take advantage of any preventative or corrective opportunities provided by the employer or to avoid harm otherwise. Faragher, 524 U.S. at 807, 118 S.Ct. 2275; Ellerth, 524 U.S. at 765, 118 S.Ct. 2257. Fairfield acknowledges that it is not entitled to the Faragher/Ellerth defense because terminating McInnis's employment constituted a tangible employment action; however, it urges us to adopt a new rule precluding punitive damages where an employee fails to follow known procedures for reporting Title VII violations. 20 None of the cases cited by Fairfield in support of their position, Williams v. Missouri Dep't of Mental Health, 407 F.3d 972 (8th Cir.2005), cert. denied, 74 U.S.L.W. 3384 (U.S. Jan 09, 2006) (NO. 05-515); Cooke v. Stefani Mgmt. Servs., 250 F.3d 564 (7th Cir.2001); and Williams v. Trader Publ'g Co., 218 F.3d 481 (5th Cir.2000), adopt or apply the rule Fairfield urges us to adopt. More importantly, unlike the Faragher/Ellerth doctrine, Kolstad does not depend on the actions of the plaintiff but merely requires that the employer demonstrate it made good-faith efforts to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Kolstad, 527 U.S. at 546, 119 S.Ct. 2118; see also Cadena, 224 F.3d at 1210 (describing the acts an employer must take to be shielded from vicarious punitive damages liability without any reference to actions (or inactions) by the plaintiff). The Supreme Court thus did not impose a requirement that an employee follow known procedures for reporting harassment or retaliation in order to receive punitive damages. 21 In any event, although Fairfield contends otherwise, sufficient evidence exists for the jury to have found that McInnis followed Fairfield's complaint procedures. Fairfield's Employee Handbook directed employees to report harassment to their supervisor. 8 Fairfield does not dispute that Gray was McInnis's supervisor. 9 Thus, when McInnis informed Gray of Thull's sexual harassment and Turolla's, Thull's, and Mikula's retaliation, she complied with Fairfield's complaint policies.