Carman v. McDonnell Douglas Corp.
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
114 F.3d 790 (1997)
Facts
The McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corporation (McDonnell Douglas) (defendant) employed Frank Carman (plaintiff) before laying him off in 1992. Carman responded by suing McDonnell Douglas for various employment-discrimination claims. During discovery, Carman sought various documents from McDonnell Douglas’s corporate ombudsman, Therese Clemente. Corporate ombudsman referred to an employee who was outside the corporate chain of command and investigated workplace disputes. McDonnell Douglas objected to the request. The district court concluded that the documents were protected by the ombudsman privilege and denied the request. The court later granted McDonnell Douglas’s motion for summary judgment, and Carman appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Arnold, C.J.)
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