Justia Iowa Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Employer secretly installed surveillance equipment in a workplace bathroom. Employee filed a claim for damages against Employer for invasion of privacy and sexual harassment. The district court granted summary judgment for Employer on both claims, holding, inter alia, that although Employer intended to view Employee in the bathroom, the tort of invasion of privacy required proof the equipment had worked and Employer had viewed the plaintiffs. The court of appeals reversed, finding the evidence of intrusion was sufficient to survive summary judgment. The Supreme Court granted further review on the issue involving invasion of privacy and affirmed, holding that the district court erred in granting Employer's motion for summary judgment where an electronic invasion occurs under the intrusion on solitude or seclusion component of the tort of invasion of privacy when the plaintiff establishes by a preponderance of evidence that the electronic device or equipment used by a defendant could have invaded privacy in some way. View "Koeppel v. Speirs" on Justia Law

Employee injured her right ankle when she slipped and fell during the course of her employment. Employer later terminated Employee's employment. Employee filed a claim with the workers' compensation commission seeking benefits as a result of her alleged injuries. The commissioner ruled in favor of Pease, concluding that she suffered an injury to the body as a whole and that her work injury was a substantial contributory factor in her state of depression. The commissioner awarded Pease permanent total disability, accrued benefits, and reimbursement for medical expenses. The district court affirmed the commissioner's findings of fact with respect to the causation of Employee's mental and physical injuries and held that substantial evidence supported the commissioner's findings regarding disability. The court of appeals reversed the award, finding substantial evidence did not support the commissioner's findings on causation. The Supreme Court vacated the court of appeals and affirmed the district court, holding that the commissioner's findings of fact were supported by substantial evidence. View "Cedar Rapids Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Pease" on Justia Law

Employee filed a personal injury lawsuit against a company under common ownership with Employer and ultimately settled the claim. About nine months after the settlement, Employer terminated Employee's employment. Employee filed suit against Employer, asserting an intentional tort claim for wrongful termination in violation of public policy and claiming that Employer terminated his employment because he brought the previous personal injury claim. The district court granted Employer motion to dismiss for failure to make a claim. The court of appeals reversed. On review, the Supreme Court vacated the court of appeals and affirmed the district court, holding that Iowa Code 668, the state's comparative fault statute, did not contain a clearly defined and well-recognized public policy of the state limiting an employer's discretion to discharge an at-will employee. View "Berry v. Liberty Holdings, Inc." on Justia Law