WPCS 5#UN| % 0(4  0l 0D 0J 0T 0^i 0hw/ 0rE 0D 0| 0w 0 1uS AO 0D U,[ 0d U, 0@ U >W D3 B) D/ DC Bc B AM U* e  Av~vIBM Laser Printer 4019IBM4019,,,,0P 0"-e ^P(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($1# 3|xu((3$ !      0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23    2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  (3$ !  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  ԃLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23    ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)$(C<< C($$   1  <  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco("$    <  9p`(&Times New Roman++++'dxd% Line 7 d**' dxd''''7Border 1ddP Pd d$)C << G<  9p`(Arial  !%  "  %  - eee FILED-X -"US ,  . !  -X CecilCrowson,Jr.%   %- eee AppellateCourtClerk   %%X !%  $       ThetrialcourtgrantedDefendants'motiontodismiss.  !%  $       T.C.A.2920205(2)providesfortheremovalofimmunityfromsuit,astoallgovernmentalentities,forinjuryproximatelycausedbythenegligenceofanyemployeewithinthescopeofhisemployment,unlesstheinjury"[a]risesoutof...interferencewithcontractrights,inflictionofmentalanguish,invasionofrightofprivacy,orcivilrights;". 7 !%  $       CreationofcivilactionDamages. 󀄄(a)Inadditiontothecriminalpenaltyprovidedin3917313[repealed],thereisherebycreatedacivilcauseofactionformaliciousharassment. (b)Apersonmaybeliabletothevictimofmaliciousharassmentforbothspecialandgeneraldamages,including,butnotlimitedto,damagesforemotionaldistress,reasonableattorney'sfeesandcosts,andpunitivedamages.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA: T Monaco  BA: T Monaco ! . &##Xd&###Xd#%  ` ` pX\RA'\@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE,WESTERNSECTION@ ATNASHVILLE@ _______________________________________________________  ) LESAJOHNSON,  ) BedfordCountyChanceryCourt ) No.18,728̀Plaintiff/Appellant. ) )VS. ) App.No.01A019503CH00104L,/);+'h|C  `L ) SOUTHCENTRALHUMAN  ) RESOURCEAGENCY,ROYTIPPS,  ) ExecutiveDirector,andJOHNED  ) UNDERWOOD,JR.,DeputyDirector,  ) )̀Defendants/Appellees. ) )______________________________________________________________________________FromtheChanceryCourtofBedfordCountyatShelbyville. HonorableTyrusH.Cobb,Chancellor AndrewJacksonDearing,III ,Shelbyville,TennesseAttorneyforPlaintiff/Appellant. GarryK.Grooms ,FARRIS,WARFIELD&KANADAY,Nashville,TennesseeAttorneyforDefendants/Appellees.OPINIONFILED: AFFIRMED FARMER,J.CRAWFORD,P.J.,W.S. :(Concurs) TOMLIN,Sp.J. :(Concurs)  ` ` X Thisisanactionpursuedbytheappellant,LesaJohnson(Johnson),fortheallegedwrongfulterminationofheremploymentwithSouthCentralHumanResourceAgency(SCHRA).TheChanceryCourtforBedfordCountydismissedthecomplaintuponmotionoftheappellees,SCHRA,anditsexecutiveanddeputydirectors,RoyTippsandJohnEdUnderwood,Jr.,respectively. ThecomplaintallegesthatJohnsonwasemployedbySCHRAfromNovember1987untilMarch1993.Itfurtherstates,aspertinenttotheissuespresentedonappeal:8  ThisisaproceedingfordamagestoredressthedeprivationofrightssecuredtoPlaintiffby TennesseeCodeAnnotated  421101etseq. Additionally,thisisaproceedingfordamagesresultingfromthetortiousinterferencewithcontractualrights,invasionofprivacy,intentionalinflictionofemotionaldistress,lossofpastandfutureearningsandemploymentbenefits,mentalpainandsufferingandpunitivedamages.8  ....8  DuringthelastfewmonthsofPlaintiff'semployment,shewassubjectedtovariousformsanddegreesofdiscriminationandharassmentbytheExecutiveDirectorandotheremployeeswhichcontinueduntilPlaintiffwasdischarged.TheformsanddegreesofdiscriminationandharassmentthatPlaintiffenduredduringthelastmonthsofemploymentandherdischargehascausedPlaintifftosufferemotionalandphysicalstress.TheconductofRoyTippsandotheremployeesconstitutedaninvasionofPlaintiff'sprivacy,inflictionofemotionaldistress,andtortiousinterferencewithhercontractualrightofemploymentandbenefits.8  Plaintiff,uponinformationandbelief,allegesthatMr.Tippsdischargedherunfairly....8  [Defendants']actsincluding,butnotlimitedto,thosereferencedaboveareinviolationof T.C.A.421101etseq. Furthermore,Defendants'actsandomissionsconstituteaninvasionofPlaintiff'sprivacyandtheintentionalinflictionofemotionaldistress.Additionally,theactionofDefendantsconstitutesatortiousinterferencewiththecontractualrightsbyandbetweenPlaintiffandtheDefendants. Asspecificactsofwrongdoing,thecomplaintallegesthattheexecutivedirector'sdecisiontoterminateJohnsonwasin"violationofthePersonnelpoliciesandProceduresof[SCHRA]";baseduponerroneousfindingsbytheprogramdirector;"notsupportedbymaterialevidence";and"arbitrary,capriciousandunreasonable."ItalsoassertsthatJohnsonwasterminatedwithoutnoticeorsufficientallegationofwrongdoing.Johnsonsought, interalia ,reinstatementwithbackpay. Inresponse,theappelleesfiledseparatemotionstodismisspursuanttoRule12.02(6)T.R.C.P.Baseduponthepleadings,thetrialcourtgrantedthemotions,concludingthatthecomplaintfailedtoallegefactssufficienttosupportanyofthecausesofactionforwhichJohnsonsoughtrecovery. Theappellantraisestwoissuesonappeal:8  1.TheCourterredingranting[Defendants']MotionforSummaryJudgment 0   ׀astointentionalinflictionofemotionaldistress(i.e."outrageousconduct).8  2.TheCourterredingranting[Defendants']MotionforSummaryJudgmentastoPlaintiff'sCauseofActionpursuantto T.C.A.421401.  Wefirstaddressajurisdictionalmatteralludedtobytheappelleesintheirbrief.Theappelleesarguethattheyareaffordedcompleteimmunityfromtheclaimofintentionalinflictionofemotionaldistress(outrageousconduct)byT.C.A.2920205(2)oftheGovernmentalTortLiabilityAct(GTLA).ThissectionretainsimmunityforthosecoveredundertheGTLAforactsoromissionsconstitutingtheinflictionofmentalanguish.IftheGTLAisapplicable,wenotethatpursuantto2920307,thecircuitcourtisgrantedexclusivejurisdictionandwewouldbeforcedtoconcludethatthechancerycourtwaswithoutjurisdiction. T.C.A.2920103(b)providesthattheGTLAappliesto"allgovernmentalentitiesasdefinedherein,...."T.C.A.2920102(3)states:8  "Governmentalentity"means anypoliticalsubdivisionofthestateofTennesseeincluding,butnotlimitedto,anymunicipality,metropolitangovernment,county,utilitydistrict,schooldistrict,nonprofitvolunteerfiredepartmentsreceivingfundsappropriatedbyacountylegislativebodyoralegislativebodyofamunicipality, humanresourceagencyanddevelopmentdistrictdulycreatedandexistingpursuanttotheconstitutionandlawofTennessee ,oranyinstrumentalityofgovernmentcreatedbyanyone(1)ormoreofthehereinnamedlocalgovernmentalentitiesorbyanactofthegeneralassembly;(emphasisadded).WearepersuadedthattheGTLAisindeedapplicabletoSCHRA.Assuch,T.C.A.2920205(2)immunizesSCHRAfromsuitsfor"intentionalinflictionofemotionaldistress." 1   ׀Thus,thechancerycourtlackedjurisdictionandwascorrectindismissingSCHRA. Astothesecondissue,T.C.A.421311,theTennesseeHumanRightsAct(THRA),providesthatanypersoninjuredbyanyactinviolationoftheprovisionsofthischaptershallhaveacivilcauseofactioninchancerycourt.ThisCourthaspreviouslyheldthattheclearlanguagefromtheTHRAevincesanunmistakablelegislativeintenttoremovewhateverimmunityagovernmentalentitymayhaveundertheGovernmentalTortLiabilityActandthattheTHRAremovedtheimmunityofthesovereignasthoughthesovereignwasaprivatecitizen. Easonv.MemphisLight,Gas&WaterDiv. ,866S.W.2d952,955(Tenn.App.1993).Sincethetrialcourtdismissedforfailuretostateacauseofaction,weturnnowtothespecificsofthecomplaint. Johnsonallegesthatshewassubjectedto"variousformsanddegreesofdiscriminationandharassmentbytheExecutiveDirectorandotheremployees"duringthelastmonthsofheremploy.T.C.A.421701createsacivilcauseofactionfor"maliciousharassment." 2   ׀WedonotfindAppellant'scomplainttosetforth,withanydegreeofspecificity,actswhichwouldconstitute"malicious"harassment.Johnsonsimplycouchesherclaimofharassmentinconclusoryterms. Additionally,T.C.A.421401,pertainingexpresslytoemploymentrelateddiscrimination,providesinsubsection(a)(1):8  Itisadiscriminatorypracticeforanemployerto:8  (1)Failorrefusetohireordischargeanypersonorotherwisetodiscriminateagainstanindividualwithrespecttocompensation,terms,conditionsorprivilegesofemploymentbecauseofsuchindividual's race,creed,color,religion,sex,ageornationalorigin ;(Emphasisadded.)Weconclude,asdidthetrialcourt,thattheappellanthasfailedtoallegeanyspecificdiscriminatoryactsorconductonthebasisofanyofthefactorssetforthinthestatute. WeconcludethatSCHRAisimmunefromsuitforintentionalinflictionofemotionaldistressundertheGTLA.ThecomplaintfailstostateacauseofactionagainsttheremainingDefendantsforintentionalinflictionofemotionaldistressandfailstostateacauseofactionagainstallthedefendantsforviolationoftheTennesseeHumanRightsAct.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtdismissingthecomplaintisaffirmedandthecostsonappealaretaxedtotheappellant,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.` ` X ___________________________________ FARMER,J.______________________________CRAWFORD,P.J.,W.S.(Concurs)______________________________TOMLIN,Sp.J.(Concurs)