Fawn Becker v. Valley Medical Center ( 2021 )

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
FAWN BECKER,
No. 80526-6-I
Respondent,
DIVISION ONE
v.
UNPUBLISHED OPINION
VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER,
PUBLIC HOSPITAL DISTRICT NO. 1,
JOSE GOMEZ, and
DOES 1 THROUGH 10,
inclusive,
Appellant.
COBURN, J. — Jose Gomez was the only male Medical Assistant (MA) at
Valley Medical Center’s (VMC) New Castle Clinic. He was a known jokester who
frequently poked his colleagues and pulled their hair. Colleague Fawn Becker
complained to management about Gomez’s harassing conduct. After an
investigation, VMC told Becker her complaints were unsubstantiated. Becker
found another job and resigned. She filed claims for sexual
discrimination/harassment hostile work environment, constructive discharge, and
wrongful discharge in violation of public policy against VMC. 1 The trial court
granted VMC’s motion for summary judgment. Becker appeals two of her claims
and contends the trial court erred because (1) there are genuine issues of
1 Becker’s suit also included claims against Gomez for assault and battery.
The trial court entered default judgment against Gomez on those claims.
Becker’s claims against Gomez are not at issue in this appeal.
Citations and pin cites are based on the Westlaw online version of the cited material.
No. 80526-6-I/2
material fact regarding whether Gomez’s harassing conduct is imputable to VMC,
and (2) there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether VMC
constructively discharged Becker from her employment. We reverse and
remand.
FACTS
In January 2017, Gomez started working as the only male MA at the clinic.
He made Pac Lab Technician Kelly Thompson, who temporarily worked at the
clinic as a third-party vendor, uncomfortable. 2 Thompson believed Gomez was
“overly friendly.” Thompson felt Gomez’s behavior “crossed a line” when he
touched the back of her neck, played with her hair, told dirty jokes, and
commented on her butt. Thompson felt Gomez’s comments about her butt were
sexual and inappropriate. Thompson also witnessed Gomez touching other
employees’ necks. Despite swatting his hands away, Gomez persisted. Pushing
a supply cart into her butt was the last straw. Thompson testified, “it just made
me really uncomfortable, so I knew I needed to say something.”
She confronted Gomez and told him he made her uncomfortable. After
Thompson confronted Gomez, he stopped touching her but became rude and
passive aggressive. Thompson explained, “it truly felt as if [Gomez] was
retaliating against me for telling him to stop the physical contact and it seems as
if he is going out of his way to make me feel unwelcome and uncomfortable.”
2Pac Lab was later acquired by LabCorp. As a third-party vendor,
Thompson was not a permanent employee at the clinic and her time there did not
overlap with Becker’s.
2
No. 80526-6-I/3
In April 2017, Thompson complained to management, who elevated the
complaint to then Clinic Manager Rajinder Sandhu, who then elevated the
complaint to Senior Human Resources (HR) Partner Leslie Mackey. VMC did
not interview Thompson, or anyone besides Gomez, about Thompson’s
complaint. Sandhu and Mackey interviewed Gomez who denied the allegations.
Sandhu coached Gomez on professional communication and told Gomez not to
touch anyone when he was trying to get their attention. Sandhu also coached
Gomez, “Be aware there is a personal space. You are a male MA. Be aware
some people don’t want to be touched. Get permission, first.” Gomez said, “he
would be mindful of his interactions in the future.”
On April 3, 2017, Becker started working as an MA at the clinic. Becker
was friendly and joked with Gomez, but starting around June 2017, Gomez
engaged in behavior that Becker thought was inappropriate.
On October 31, 2017, Becker complained to Clinic Supervisor Alexis Siva
about several incidents. She told Siva that Gomez (1) poked her and invaded
her private space; (2) told Becker she liked her hair pulled; (3) danced on
medical equipment in a sexual manner; (4) thrusted his pelvis at her after
commenting on her hair color by saying “once you go black you never to go
back” and “oh brown so you always go down”; (5) scratched his “crotch” with a
fake skeleton hand that was on Becker’s desk and returned it to her desk after
she tried to throw it away; (6) played country music on his work computer with
3
No. 80526-6-I/4
the lyrics “hoochie coochie”; and (7) took Becker’s boots and placed them out of
reach on top of lockers in the break room.
Siva immediately emailed the list of complaints to Clinic Medical Director
Dr. Daniel Letinsky and Clinic Coordinator Tracie Trani. Siva wrote that Gomez
had previously been talked to about invading people’s private space and that
there was a previous complaint about Gomez “hugging from behind and
unwanted violation of space that was communicated to him repeatedly.” That
previous complaint was Thompson’s.
Siva elevated Becker’s complaint to Aaron Sand of VMC’s human
resources who then initiated an investigation. Siva also informed Sand about
Thompson’s complaint.
Sand called Becker on November 2, 2017. The two arranged to meet.
The parties dispute whether Becker told Sand about an incident where Gomez
ran his finger up MA Maggie Gonzalez’s leg and whether Becker told Sand that
she felt safe at work.
The next day, Becker was absent from work, and Sand interviewed
Gomez who “flat-out” denied all the allegations. Sand requested from Becker the
names of potential witnesses he could interview. Becker provided three names:
MA Reesa Reonal, Gonzalez, and Letinsky. Sand interviewed Reonal and
Gonzalez.
4
No. 80526-6-I/5
Reonal told Sand that Gomez was a “happy-go-lucky guy” who “liked to
make people laugh.” Reonal did not observe any of the allegations except
Gomez putting Becker’s boots on the locker as a joke.
Sand interviewed Gonzalez for 15 minutes. Sand asked Gonzalez
whether she witnessed anything that a person could interpret as harassing,
intimidating, or inappropriate behavior in the workplace. Gonzalez described
Gomez as having a generally happy attitude and always trying to have fun and
lighten the mood. Gonzalez could not recall an incident that she interpreted as
harassing. Gonzalez said Becker was trying to create trouble in the clinic and
that Becker exaggerates.
Sand had difficulty scheduling an interview with Letinsky. After
interviewing Reonal and Gonzalez, Sand decided he did not need to interview
Letinsky because he concluded he could only substantiate Becker’s allegation
that Gomez put her boots on the locker. Sand did not try to interview other
witnesses.
Had Sand interviewed Letinsky, he would have discovered that Letinsky
could confirm he yelled at Gomez to “knock it off” during the boots incident, that
Gomez frequently pulled MAs’ ponytails, and that Gomez danced with a mobile
medical equipment called a “robo nurse.” Letinsky did not think the dancing was
sexual. According to Letinsky, there was joking and teasing in the workplace,
“but people seemed to be on board with it.” Letinsky “did not witness anybody
5
No. 80526-6-I/6
responding negatively to it,” and he did not observe Gomez making sexually
suggestive remarks in the workplace.
Had Sand interviewed MA Bridget DeCordial, Sand would have
discovered that Becker told DeCordial that Gomez said, “once you go brown or
something down.” DeCordial did not report the incident because the comment
was not directed at her, and she did not like to get involved in other people’s
business. DeCordial also testified that Gomez repeatedly pulled employees’
ponytails or hair and joked by physically tapping people on the shoulder.
Sand explained in his deposition that his plan was to interview the
witnesses Becker listed first, and through those witnesses, he would interview
others if they knew there were others to interview. He did not interview others
because there were none.
On November 17, 2017, before the investigation concluded, Becker
complained to Siva and Letinsky that Gomez showed nude images of a woman
on his phone to a coworker, Satwinder Sonu Singh, 3 and said, “Look at the ass
on her.” Siva and Letinsky did not escalate the complaint to Sand. Siva
investigated it herself and both Gomez and Singh denied the allegation.
While investigating Becker’s complaint, Sand reviewed the records from
Thompson’s complaint. Even though the conduct Thompson complained of was
similar to the conduct Becker complained of, and even though the conduct took
3We use the spelling of “Singh” as provided in his deposition. Though the
record reflects, VMC employees often misspelled his name.
6
No. 80526-6-I/7
place in the same clinic, Sand did not consider whether Thompson’s complaint
substantiated Becker’s complaint or vice versa. Instead, Sand testified, “I treated
this as an individual situation to be investigated and not to reopen something that
was closed and addressed through a documented coaching.” But, Sand testified
it was possible he was concerned and considered that Thompson and Becker’s
complaints indicated Gomez was engaged in a pattern of conduct. Sand also
testified that if HR had confirmed Thompson’s complaints about Gomez’s
unwanted conduct, Gomez’s conduct would have “[p]ossibly” warranted his
termination.
Sand closed the investigation into Becker’s complaint on November 20,
2017, “because the allegations just couldn’t be substantiated. There [were] no
witnesses.”
Around November 27, 2017, Sand and Siva met with Gomez to tell him
that Sand could not substantiate the allegations. Sand provided some coaching:
[D]uring the course of investigation, . . . I had heard a lot of
feedback that . . . you like to have fun and joke around in the
workplace and . . . maybe you need to scale that back a little bit
because obviously something that you’re doing is disruptive or
upsetting to a person and that you need to be mindful of the kinds
of jokes that you may be making or how you present yourself . . . .
Be focused on business instead of joking around. And that when
you engage in joking behavior in the workplace, it could be
interpreted as offensive to some.
Sand instructed Gomez not to discuss the specific allegations or the investigation
with anyone.
7
No. 80526-6-I/8
Two days later, on November 29, Siva emailed Letinsky and Trani,
“[Gomez] has drifted EXTREMELY back to his old ways with excessive ‘touching’
and offensive comments to some.” Siva testified in her deposition that Gomez
went “back to massaging shoulders.” Siva testified, “This happened overnight.
[Gomez] went all the way back, like reverted all the way back to himself instead
of being reserved like he had been after his HR conversation and concluding of
the case.” Trani responded to Siva’s email by writing,
In addition to the comments regarding [Gomez], I think he needs to
be talked to about the music he plays on his computer. . . . [H]e
needs to be mindful of the volume and content of the music he is
playing. Apparently, another staff in the back office complained
today about this (and I recall that this was also something [Becker]
had mentioned before too . . .).
During the investigation of Becker’s complaint, Becker took a leave of
absence. While she was gone, in December 2017, Shana Mason started
working as an MA at the clinic. From the time she started, Mason regularly
observed Gomez joking with female employees and pulling their hair. She heard
Gomez make “weird inappropriate jokes,” including “dirty jokes” and “dumb-
blonde jokes.” Mason recalled Gomez making jokes about peoples’ anatomy but
not about peoples’ private parts. She also saw Gomez come up behind
coworkers to give them massages or place his hands on their shoulders. Mason
also observed that when a coworker was in Gomez’s walking path, Gomez would
put his hands on the coworker’s waist or shoulder to move them out of his way.
Mason testified she did not complain to anyone at the clinic about
Gomez’s jokes because Gomez often made inappropriate jokes within earshot of
8
No. 80526-6-I/9
Letinsky and “[i]f [Letinsky] heard it, and was okay with it, there’s no point in me
saying something” because Letinsky “was part of leadership.”
On January 2, 2018, Director of Primary and Urgent Care Clinics Cathy
Roberts informed Gomez that Becker was returning to work that day and
reminded Gomez to “maintain his professionalism.” After the meeting, Gomez
emailed Roberts that he felt awkward, he did not want the situation “to get worse
for anyone here or management,” and he was willing to transfer to a different
clinic. Roberts then emailed Sand, “I think [Gomez] understands the magnitude
of the situation clearly now!” .
The morning Becker returned from leave, Sand, Roberts, and a union
representative met with Becker to inform her Sand had concluded the
investigation. Sand told Becker he could not substantiate her allegations except
for the boots incident. Sand told Becker, “[W]e do very much take these
allegations seriously and we’re here to support you.”
After Becker returned from leave, Gomez no longer pulled her hair. But,
Becker continued to hear Gomez making jokes she thought were inappropriate
and observed Gomez thrusting his pelvis. Mason testified in her deposition to
knowing Becker thought Gomez’s jokes were inappropriate because Becker
responded to Gomez’s jokes by saying, “That’s not true, or I don’t think that,
[and] that’s not okay to say.” Mason also testified to Becker telling Mason, “[I]f
anyone makes you uncomfortable, I’m available to talk.” After she returned from
9
No. 80526-6-I/10
leave, Becker made only one more complaint about Gomez—that Gomez
showed his tattoos in violation of clinic policy.
In his deposition, Letinsky said he did not observe Gomez telling
inappropriate jokes after Becker returned from leave. However, Mason said
Gomez continued to make inappropriate jokes “until he left” his employment at
the clinic, which was about one month after Becker left.
On January 6, 2018, Becker informed Roberts that she had applied for a
transfer to other VMC clinics. According to Sand, VMC was trying to help Becker
transfer to another clinic to “help her to be happy” at VMC, but Becker was
engaging in “disruptive behaviors” and would storm out of meetings and that her
behavior made it difficult to facilitate a transfer.
On January 22, 2018, management discussed Becker’s disruptive
behavior with her. That same day, Becker submitted her resignation. In her
initial resignation email, Becker wrote, “I have been offered a position that will be
supportive and provides safety for me and my needs that Valley cannot provide
me.”
The next day, Becker wrote another email explaining, “I am specifically
referring to Valley Medical Center’s handling of my complaints of sexual
harassment and sexually inappropriate behavior by Medical Assistant Jose
Gomez.” Becker wrote that she did not think VMC made reasonable efforts to
investigate her complaints. She also wrote,
10
No. 80526-6-I/11
When I returned from my leave I experienced incidents where . . .
Gomez would just stare at me with a very uncomfortable blank
stare. Also, there were other times where when I was working with
a provider and [Gomez] would interrupt my discussion with the
provider and talk over me. This behavior was very intimidating and I
felt he was doing this as a result of being aware of my complaint of
sexual harassment that I had made against him. Finally, in regards
to my “safety,” even after I made the complaint, . . . Gomez was still
doing things in the clinic that were sexually inappropriate or
questionable.
Among the complaints Becker wrote about were HR’s failure to investigate
her complaint to Siva and Letinsky that Gomez showed nude images of women
on his phone to Singh during work. She wrote, “I feel that the accusations of my
engaging in ‘disruptive conduct’ have something to do with me making the
complaint.” Finally, she wrote, “I want you [to] understand that I resigned
because I could no longer tolerate the working environment in which Valley was
requiring me to work in with . . . Gomez and the way in which my complaints was
handle[d].”
On February 1, 2018, Sand emailed Siva to ask if Becker reported her
allegation that Gomez showed Singh nude images on his phone to Siva and
Letinsky. Siva responded that they investigated the allegation and Becker
admitted she did not actually see a photo, but Becker said that she knew what
Gomez and Singh viewed was inappropriate. It was in this context that Becker
heard Gomez say “look at that ass.” Siva said they asked Gomez and Singh
about it and they both denied the incident.
Becker initiated a suit against VMC for sexual discrimination/harassment
and hostile work environment and under the Washington Law Against
11
No. 80526-6-I/12
Discrimination (WLAD), Chapter 49.60 RCW, constructive discharge and
discriminatory termination, and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy.
The trial court granted summary judgment to VMC, and dismissed Becker’s
claims with prejudice.
Becker appeals her hostile work environment and constructive discharge
claims.
DISCUSSION
A. Motion to Strike a Section of Becker’s Reply Brief
VMC requests this court strike section IV(B)(ii) of Becker’s reply brief
because it presents a new argument that VMC is liable for Gomez’s non-sexual
hostile gender-based conduct. Becker argues section IV(B)(ii) does not raise a
new issue on appeal because it further analyzes the “existing issue of whether
Gomez’s sexual harassment continued following the corrective action and what
type of conduct qualifies as sexual harassment in a hostile work environment
claim.”
RAP 10.3(c) provides, “A reply brief should conform with [RPC 10.3(a)]
subsections (1), (2), (6), (7), and (8) . . . and be limited to a response to the
issues in the brief to which the reply brief is directed.” RAP 10.3(a)(6) requires
the brief of appellants and respondents to include an “argument in support of the
issues presented for review, together with citations to legal authority and
references to relevant parts of the record.”
12
No. 80526-6-I/13
Here, Becker does not assert a new issue or new facts. Instead, Becker is
replying to the issue and arguments in VMC’s response brief. VMC concedes
the only issue on appeal is whether Gomez’s behavior is imputable to VMC. Yet,
in its response, VMC repeatedly argues that much of Gomez’s touching was not
sexual or offensive to anyone except Becker. Becker appropriately replied that
VMC could be liable for Gomez’s non-sexual hostile gender-based conduct.
Becker provides citations to legal authority in compliance with RAP 10.3(a)(6)
and (c). Therefore, we deny VMC’s motion to strike.
VMC also argues, under RAP 2.5(a), Becker impermissibly raises a new
argument for the first time on appeal. RAP 2.5(a) provides, “The appellate court
may refuse to review any claim of error which was not raised in the trial court.”
Below, Becker did not use the exact phrase, “non-sexual hostile gender-based
conduct,” as she does here. But the evidence presented has not changed.
Whether some conduct was sexual or not sexual does not change the prima
facie elements that Becker must prove at trial. Besides, the issue on appeal is
whether there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether VMC took
reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action to stop Gomez’s harassing
behavior and whether VMC constructively discharged Becker. VMC’s argument
is unpersuasive. Accordingly, we deny VMC’s motion to strike.
B. Standard of Review
This court reviews a trial court’s grant of summary judgment de novo.
Cornwell v. Microsoft Corp., 192 Wn.2d 403, 410, 430 P.3d 229 (2018).
Summary judgment is appropriate only where “there is no genuine issue as to
13
No. 80526-6-I/14
any material fact and . . . the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of
law.” CR 56(c). “A genuine issue of material fact exists if reasonable minds
could disagree on the conclusion of a factual issue.” LaRose v. King County, 8
Wn. App. 2d 90, 103, 437 P.3d 701 (2019). This court considers the facts and
reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.
Mikkelsen v. Pub. Utility Dist. No. 1 of Kittitas County, 189 Wn.2d 516, 526, 404
P.3d 464 (2017).
“Summary judgment should rarely be granted in employment
discrimination cases.” Sangster v. Albertson’s, Inc., 99 Wn. App. 156, 160, 991
P.2d 674 (2000). That said, “[i]n order for a plaintiff alleging discrimination in the
workplace to overcome a motion for summary judgment, he or she must do more
than express an opinion or make conclusory statements. The plaintiff must
establish specific and material facts to support each element of his or her prima
facie case.” Haubry v. Snow, 106 Wn. App. 666, 670, 31 P.3d 1186 (2001).
C. Hostile Work Environment
Becker argues there is a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether
Gomez’s harassing conduct is imputable to VMC because there is a genuine
issue of material fact as to whether, after VMC knew of Gomez’s harassing
conduct, VMC took reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action. We
agree.
The WLAD prohibits employment discrimination based on sex.
RCW 49.60.180(3) provides it is an unfair practice for any employer “[t]o
14
No. 80526-6-I/15
discriminate against any person in compensation or in other terms or conditions
of employment because of . . . sex.”
To establish a prima facie claim of a sexual harassment hostile work
environment, the plaintiff must show the harassment was “(1) unwelcome
conduct, (2) based on sex, (3) affecting the terms and conditions of employment,
and (4) imputed to the employer.” Perry v. Costco Wholesale, Inc., 123 Wn. App.
783, 791, 98 P.3d 1264 (2004). For purposes of this appeal, VMC concedes the
first three elements. Accordingly, only the fourth element is at issue here.
There are two ways workplace harassment is imputable to an employer.
First, “[w]here an owner, manager, partner or corporate officer personally
participates in the harassment.” Glasgow v. Georgia-Pacific Corp., 103 Wn.2d
401, 407, 693 P.2d 708 (1985). Second, where the harassment is by the
plaintiff’s supervisor or coworker and the plaintiff shows “the employer
(a) authorized, knew, or should have known of the harassment and (b) failed to
take reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action.” Id.Here, Becker argues Gomez’s harassing conduct is imputable to VMC
because Gomez was her coworker, VMC knew about the harassment, and VMC
failed to take reasonably prompt and adequate corrective action. To impute
liability for a discriminatory work environment created by a coworker, Becker
must show: (a) she complained “to the employer through higher managerial or
supervisory personnel or by proving such a pervasiveness of sexual harassment
at the workplace as to create an inference of the employer’s knowledge or
constructive knowledge of it,” and (b) “the employer’s remedial action was not of
15
No. 80526-6-I/16
such nature as to have been reasonably calculated to end the harassment.”
Perry, 123 Wn. App. at 791-92 (quoting Glasgow, 103 Wn.2d at 407).
“Once an employer has actual knowledge through higher managerial or
supervisory personnel of a complaint of sexual harassment, then the employer
must take remedial action that is reasonably calculated to end the harassment.”
Id. at 793. “[T]he reasonableness of an employer’s remedy will depend on its
ability to stop harassment by the person who engaged in harassment. In
evaluating the adequacy of the remedy, the court may also take into account the
remedy’s ability to persuade potential harassers to refrain from unlawful
conduct.” Id. at 793-95 (quoting Ellison v. Brady, 924 F.2d 872, 882 (1991)).
“Repeat conduct may show the unreasonableness of prior responses.” Id. at
794.
Here, it is undisputed that VMC received complaints about Gomez’s
behavior from Thompson in April 2017 and from Becker in October and
November 2017. Becker established that VMC “authorized, knew, or should
have known of the harassment.” See Glasgow, 103 Wn.2d at 407.
Becker raises a genuine issue of material fact as to whether VMC took
“remedial action reasonably calculated to end the harassment.” Perry, 123 Wn.
App. at 793. VMC leadership responded to both Thompson and Becker’s
complaints by conducting investigations and coaching Gomez “to remain
professional at work.”
Siva’s November 29, 2017 email to Letinsky, sent two days after Gomez
received more coaching, suggested that repeating the same type of remedy that
16
No. 80526-6-I/17
was given after Thompson’s complaint was ineffective in that Gomez “has drifted
EXTREMELY back to his old ways with excessive ‘touching’ and offensive
comments to some.” Despite this email that suggests otherwise, VMC argues
that most of the female MAs do not mind Gomez poking them or pulling their hair
and that Gomez stopped such behavior with Becker. However, according to
Becker, after she returned from her leave, Gomez continued to make
inappropriate jokes and thrust his pelvis. Another MA, Mason, confirmed that
Gomez, in Becker’s presence, made jokes that Becker felt were inappropriate.
And these jokes occurred after VMC coached Gomez for the second time and
reminded him to be professional when Becker returned from leave.
The depositions of at least three different people suggests that some
incidents Becker complained of, but VMC found unsubstantiated, occurred.
Letinksy confirmed Gomez danced with the robo nurse. DeCordial recalled
Gomez saying something to the effect of “once you go brown or something
down.” Though Letinksly believed that “people seemed to be on board” with
Gomez’s jokes and teasing, Mason said she did not complain about
inappropriate jokes because they were made in front of Letinsky, who was part of
the leadership team, and “[i]f he heard it, and was okay with it, there’s no point in
me saying something.”
Becker established a genuine issue of material fact. A reasonable
factfinder could conclude that VMC failed to take remedial measures reasonably
calculated to end the harassment. For these reasons, the trial court erred by
summarily dismissing Becker’s hostile work environment claim.
17
No. 80526-6-I/18
D. Constructive Discharge
Becker argues the trial court erred in granting summary judgment
dismissing her claim for constructive discharge. We agree.
RCW 49.60.180(2) provides that it is an unfair practice for any employer
“[t]o discharge . . . any person from employment because of . . . sex.”
To prove constructive discharge, the employee must show: (a) “a
deliberate act by the employer that made [the] working conditions so intolerable
that a reasonable person would have felt compelled to resign;” and (b) the
employee “resigned because of the conditions and not for some other reason.”
Washington v. Boeing Co., 105 Wn. App. 1, 15, 19 P.3d 1041 (2000) (citing
Sneed v. Barna, 80 Wn. App. 843, 849, 912 P.2d 1035 (1996)). “The inquiry is
whether ‘working conditions would have been so difficult or unpleasant that a
reasonable person in the employee’s shoes would have felt compelled to
resign.’ ” Sneed, 80 Wn. App. at 849 (quoting Stork v. Int’l Bazaar Inc., 54 Wn.
App. 274, 287, 774 P.2d 22 (1989)).
Whether working conditions are intolerable is a question of fact. Id. The
employee can show intolerable conditions by a “continuous pattern of
discriminatory treatment” or other “aggravating circumstances.” Id. at 850. “An
employee’s frustration . . . is not enough to show intolerable working conditions.”
Crownover v. State ex rel. Dep’t of Transp., 165 Wn. App. 131, 149, 265 P.3d
971 (2011).
“Additionally, the employee must show that she resigned because of the
conditions and not for some other reason, like finding a better job.” Wahl v. Dash
18
No. 80526-6-I/19
Point Family Dental Clinic, Inc., 144 Wn. App. 34, 44, 181 P.3d 864 (2008). “A
resignation is presumed to be voluntary, and it is incumbent upon the employee
to introduce evidence to rebut that presumption.” Sneed, 80 Wn. App. at 849.
In Haubry v. Snow, we determined Haubry established “a question of
material fact as to whether the workplace situation into which Haubry was placed
would compel a reasonable person to resign” and reversed the trial court’s grant
of summary judgment to her employer. 106 Wn. App. at 678. Haubry’s employer
made her feel uncomfortable by repeatedly “approach[ing] Haubry from behind
and plac[ing] his hands on top of her shoulders,” touching and squeezing Haubry,
staring at Haubry, commenting on Haubry’s outfits, and making sexual
comments. Id. at 671-73. Haubry asserted she left her employment “because
she was so uncomfortable working in the office when [the employer] was
present.” Id. at 673. Other employees provided affidavits about their similar
experiences and about observing the employer’s behavior toward Haubry. Id.
We determined, “While it may be a difficult burden for Haubry to prove that the
conditions were ‘intolerable’ at trial, the evidence is sufficient to avoid a summary
judgment dismissal of the constructive discharge claim.” Id. at 678.
Like in Haubry, Becker asserted evidence sufficient to avoid summary
judgment dismissal of the constructive discharge claim. Becker provided
evidence that Gomez repeatedly approached Becker and other MAs from behind
to touch their shoulders and pull their hair. Becker provided evidence that, even
after complaining, VMC continued to allow a work environment where Gomez
19
No. 80526-6-I/20
told inappropriate jokes, touched female coworkers, and made Becker feel
uncomfortable.
Based on the evidence provided, we believe Becker established a genuine
issue of material fact as to whether she overcame the presumption that she
resigned voluntarily and as to whether VMC’s failure to correct Gomez’s
harassing conduct made working conditions so intolerable that a reasonable
person in Becker’s shoes would feel required to resign.
CONCLUSION
Considering the facts and reasonable inferences in the light most favorable
to Becker, Becker raises genuine issues of material fact as to whether Gomez’s
harassing conduct is imputable to VMC and VMC is liable for the hostile work
environment. Becker also raises a genuine issue of material fact as to whether
VMC constructively discharged Becker because VMC’s failure to adequately
correct Gomez’s harassing conduct made working conditions so intolerable that a
reasonable person in Becker’s shoes would feel required to resign. We reverse
and remand.
WE CONCUR:
20