DaPonte v. Ocean State Job Lot, Inc.
Annotate this CaseIn 2001, the president of Ocean State Job Lot conducted an inspection of one of the company’s stores. He expressed his displeasure over placement of a price sticker, and removed it, forcefully placing it on the shoulder of Plaintiff-Employee Irene DaPonte. Plaintiff filed suit alleging a violation of her privacy rights through an “unreasonable intrusion on her physical solitude or seclusion.” Even though the trial judge thought the president’s actions were highly inappropriate, she nevertheless dismissed Plaintiff’s case because she could not find a legal basis for it under state law. Plaintiff appealed. The Supreme Court held that it “share[d] the trial justice’s conclusion that even though there was a strong gloss of inappropriateness, and indeed offensiveness, attached to [the president’s] action,” the trial judge was “not clearly wrong in her decision.” The Court affirmed the lower court’s dismissal of Plaintiff’s case.
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