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X/&24Technical Document Style.. 23  Ԁ.   CRight ParRight-Aligned Paragraph NumbersI.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)3|x<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@( T$   dc`$(G.2$ FT!   dXX     0  RIPLEYDUTTONHOLLARSMaxineLeemanMerryman($   0  ("$    2 0Indent123  GGGG'dxd2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23  ORSTUVWX ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Courier New% Line 7 ddddd7Border 1ddMeC << G<  9p`(Arial ? F!  #d#Zc  "  gg   YYY FILEDgX January11,1996CecilCrowson,Jr.gAppellateCourtClerk  & F!#d#Zc  I$c         NoapplicationforanappealtotheSupremeCourtwasmadebytheemployeeineithercase. C F!#d#Zc  I$c         TheAmericanHeritageDictionarygivesthefollowingdefinitionofrefuse:"Todeclinetodo,accept,give,orallow."PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA: T Monaco  BA: T Monaco MC<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5((3$ FT!   ($$   1  ' dxdP Pd F! . Z&bbXd&#bbXd#c    7XXdd7\RA'\ `    , 5  d u` Lfhe;+'h|`  `L@ INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE       @ EASTERNSECTIONMAXINEO.MASON@ ) SEVIERCOUNTY@ ) 03A019508CV00270 PlaintiffAppellant@ )@ )@ ) v.@ ) HON.BENW.HOOPER,II,̀@ ) JUDGE       @ )KENNETHM.SEATONand @ )wifeLAURELSEATON,d/b/a@ )GRANDHOTEL@ )  @ )  DefendantsAppellees@ ) VACATEDANDREMANDEDJAMESH.RIPLEYOFSEVIERVILLEFORAPPELLANTDOUGLASL.DUTTONandAMYV.HOLLARSOFKNOXVILLEFORAPPELLEES     OPINION         Goddard,P.J.  Thisisasuitseekingdamagesforwrongfuldischargepursuantto"ThePublicProtectionActof1990,"T.C.A.501304,commonlyknownastheWhistleBlowerAct,andthe"OccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1972,"T.C.A.503106.TheTrialCourtgrantedtheDefendantsasummaryjudgmentinsofarasthecomplaintsoughtreliefundertheWhistleBlowerAct.Thereafter,heenteredaRule54judgmentrenderinghisdispositionafinaljudgment,andassuchsubjecttoanappealasofright.  T.C.A.501304,aspertinenttothisappeal,providesthefollowing:      501304 . Dischargeforrefusaltoparticipateinorremainsilentaboutillegalactivities,orforlegaluseofagriculturalproductDamagesFrivolouslawsuits. (a)Noemployeeshallbedischargedorterminatedsolelyforrefusingtoparticipatein,orforrefusingtoremainsilentabout,illegalactivities. (b)Asusedinthissection,"illegalactivities"meansactivitieswhichareinviolationofthecriminalorcivilcodeofthisstateortheUnitedStatesoranyregulationintendedtoprotectthepublichealth,safetyorwelfare. (c)Anyemployeeterminatedinviolationofsubsection(a)shallhaveacauseofactionagainsttheemployerforretaliatorydischargeandanyotherdamagestowhichtheemployeemaybeentitled.      TheTrialCourtconstruedthelanguageinSubsection(a)"refusingtoremainsilentabout,illegalactivities."inaccordancewithtwounreportedcasesfromtheWesternSectionofthisCourtsittinginNashvillewhichholdthattheemployeesmusthavebeenexpresslyorimplicitlydirectedtoremainsilentbeforetheywereentitledtoclaimthebenefitsofthestatute.  Theevidencetakeninalightmostfavorabletothenonmovingparty,aswearerequiredtodoinreviewingtheproprietyofagrantofsummaryjudgment,disclosesthatthePlaintiff,MaxineO.Mason,wasterminatedbecauseshecontactedauthoritiesrelativetosafetyviolationswhereshewasemployedspecificallythatheremployer,GrandHotel,lockeddoorsconfiningherinthelaundryroomwheresheworked.  ThecasesrelieduponbytheTrialCourtareLeemanv.Edwards,filedinNashvilleonOctober14,1994,andMerrymanv.CentralParkingSystem,Inc.,filedinNashvilleonNovember13,1992. i   ׀BothofthesecasesholdthatitisnecessarythattheemployerexpresslyorimplicitlydirecttheemployeetoremainsilentbeforetheActcomesintoplay.  InalldeferencetoourbrethrenintheWesternSection,webelievetheyhavetoonarrowlyconstruedthisstatutewhichisobviouslyremedialandmustbeliberallyconstrued.BigForkMiningCo.v.TennesseeWaterQualityControlBoard,620S.W.2d515(Tenn.App.1981).Whilewewouldreadilyconcedethattheconstructionplaceduponthewords"refusingtoremainsilent" j   ׀bytheforegoingcasesisaconceivableone,andperhapstechnicallycorrect,wedonotbelieveitisanappropriateone.ItseemstousthattheevilsoughttoberemediedbytheLegislatureisbroaderthantheonerecognizedbytheWesternSection.Asweinterpretthestatute,itseekstoencourageanemployeetospeakoutaboutillegalactivities,whetherthatemployeehaspreviouslybeentoldtoremainsilentbyhisemployerornot.  WeaccordinglyconcludethestatuteasweconstrueitprohibitstheactionoftheDefendantsandsummaryjudgmentwasimproperlygranted.  Inconclusion,werespectfullysuggestthatthisisanappropriatecasefortheSupremeCourttograntanapplicationforappealandresolvetheconflictbetweentheSectionsofthisCourt.  FortheforegoingreasonsthejudgmentoftheTrialCourtisvacatedandthecauseremandedforfurtherproceedingsnotinconsistentwiththisopinion.CostsofappealareadjudgedagainsttheDefendants.      _______________________________      HoustonM.Goddard,P.J.CONCUR:________________________________HerschelP.Franks,J.________________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.