Melancon v. Hyatt Corp.
Louisiana Court of Appeal
589 So. 2d 1186 (1991)
- Written by Abby Roughton, JD
Facts
Mack Melancon (plaintiff) worked as an engineer at a Hyatt Regency hotel. In February of 1987, an employee representative from the hotel’s personnel department told Melancon that he was suspected of taking towels from the hotel based on hidden video-camera footage from the hotel’s laundry room. The hotel’s personnel department fired Melancon the next day. Melancon denied taking the towels and asked to see the videotape, but he was not allowed to view it. Melancon believed that his coworkers all knew that he had been fired for stealing towels. In June of 1987, Melancon sued the Hyatt Corporation (defendant) for defamation and wrongful termination. At trial, Larry Washington, a former hotel maintenance employee, testified that a cafeteria employee told Washington that Melancon was fired for stealing towels. Richard Johnson, another former employee, also testified that several employees told him that Melancon was fired for stealing towels. The jury ultimately concluded that Hyatt had defamed Melancon and awarded damages. Hyatt appealed to the Louisiana Court of Appeal, asserting that the trial court improperly admitted hearsay testimony from Washington and Johnson about what they heard from the other hotel employees.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Klees, J.)
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