Dobson v. Harris
North Carolina Court of Appeals
521 S.E.2d 710 (1999)
- Written by Ross Sewell, JD
Facts
Tammie Dobson (plaintiff) brought her daughter with her to J.C. Penney’s (defendant). Holly Harris (defendant), a Penney’s employee, made a mistake that required Dobson to write a second check, angering Dobson. While Harris was sorting out the mistake, Dobson’s daughter became restive. Dobson yelled at her daughter, picked her up off the counter, and set her back down hard. Accounts differ whether Dobson’s act was violent and whether her child’s head was near a sharp edge. Harris reported Dobson to social services, which investigated Dobson but was unable to substantiate Harris’s complaint of child abuse. Dobson sued Harris and Penney’s for slander per se, alleging (1) that Harris falsely reported that Dobson abused and neglected her child in Penney’s, and (2) that Penney’s was liable for Harris’s action under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Harris claimed a qualified privilege. The court granted Harris and Penney’s motion for summary judgment. Dobson appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Edmunds, J.)
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