Скачать или смотреть Wagenseller v. Scottsdale Memorial Hospital Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

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Wagenseller v. Scottsdale Memorial Hospital | 710 P.2d 1025 (1985)

At some point in our lives, a boss will ask us to do something that we don’t want to do, like working late or redoing a project. If employees refuse, they may be disciplined or even terminated for good cause. But what does it mean if an employer terminates an employee for bad cause? The Arizona Supreme Court addressed this issue in the 1985 case of Wagenseller versus Scottsdale Memorial Hospital.

Catherine Wagenseller worked as a staff nurse at the Scottsdale Memorial Hospital. Kay Smith, the manager of the emergency department, recruited Wagenseller for the role and served as her supervisor. Wagenseller was an at-will employee under her employment contract. Smith and Wagenseller had a healthy working relationship for over four years. Smith consistently gave Wagenseller positive performance reviews.

Smith invited Wagenseller on a camping and rafting trip with staff from other hospitals. During the trip, Smith and the other rafters engaged in heavy drinking and public nudity, including a parody of the song “Moon River.” At the end of the song, Smith and the other rafters mooned the audience. After the trip, Smith also performed the skit at the hospital. Arizona law prohibited indecent exposure. Wagenseller declined to participate in any of these activities.

Shortly thereafter, other members of the emergency department noticed that Smith treated Wagenseller differently. Smith used abusive language toward Wagenseller and embarrassed her in front of others. Six months after the rafting trip, Wagenseller was terminated.

Wagenseller sued Smith and the hospital for wrongful termination, arguing that she was fired for refusing to participate in Smith’s activities. The trial court ruled in favor of Smith and the hospital. The court of appeals affirmed in part and remanded in part. The court of appeals held that Wagenseller had a cause of action against Smith but not the hospital. Wagenseller appealed to the Arizona Supreme Court.

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