Laverie v. Wetherbe (Opinion)
Annotate this CaseJames Wetherbe, a Texas Tech professor and associate dean, filed a defamation action against Debra Laverie, a colleague, after Wetherbe was passed over for promotion. Laverie filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the Tort Claims Act required Wetherbe to name Texas Tech as a defendant and dismiss her from the lawsuit. Wetherbe responded that because Laverie did not act in the scope of her employment when she defamed him she was not entitled to dismissal. The trial court denied Laverie’s motion. The court of appeals affirmed. The Supreme Court reversed and rendered judgment dismissing Laverie from the underlying suit, holding that Laverie was acting in the scope of her employment when she made the allegedly defamatory statements.
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