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Dalton v. University of Alabama in Huntsville
Citations: 591 So. 2d 93; 1991 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 651; 1991 WL 244379Docket: 2900303
Court: Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama; November 21, 1991; Alabama; State Appellate Court
An appeal was made regarding a summary judgment favoring the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) from a class action filed by terminated UAH employees claiming breach of contract and discrimination. The employees argued that letters received at the start of their employment constituted an employment contract that was breached when UAH transitioned food service operations to Marriott Corporation, which led to their termination. UAH countered that the employees were at-will employees without a binding contract, and that the decision to allow Marriott to staff the operations was based on business considerations. UAH also claimed sovereign immunity as a state entity. Upon UAH’s motion for summary judgment, the trial court found no genuine issues of material fact concerning the employment relationship. The court noted that the employees did not dispute their at-will status or present evidence of a contractual agreement. The summary judgment was granted based on UAH's prima facie case, which established that the employees were at-will and that there was no contract to support their claims. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision, underscoring that the required elements to prove otherwise were not met by the employees. The judgment was upheld and affirmed by the appellate court.