Haynes v. Formac Stables, Inc.

Plaintiff worked as a horse groom for Employer. After Employer terminated Plaintiff’s employment, Plaintiff filed a complaint for retaliatory discharge pursuant to both the common law and the Tennessee Public Protection Act, alleging that Employer’s owner had illegally terminated his employment when Plaintiff complained to the owner about the owner’s illegal conduct. The trial court granted Employer’s motion to dismiss, concluding that Plaintiff had failed to state a valid claim for retaliatory discharge because he had not reported the illegal activity to anyone other than the owner. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that Plaintiff’s claim was properly dismissed for failure to state a claim where the allegations in the complaint established that Plaintiff did not expose Employer’s illegal conduct by reporting it to anyone aside from the person responsible for the conduct. View "Haynes v. Formac Stables, Inc." on Justia Law