Padayao v. Island Hospitality Management
Appellants Cherrymae Padayao and Vivica Victug (plaintiffs) were employed by respondent Island Hospitality Management, Inc. (Island Hospitality) from 1990 until 2009, when they were terminated from their positions as housekeeping supervisors at a hotel. Plaintiffs, who are both Filipino, filed a wrongful termination action alleging that Island Hospitality’s decision to terminate them was based upon their race and/or national origin. Plaintiffs’ complaint included causes of action for discrimination in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code, § 12940) and wrongful termination in violation of public policy.
Island Hospitality moved for summary judgment on the ground that the undisputed facts showed that plaintiffs were terminated for nondiscriminatory reasons: their failure to ensure that hotel rooms were clean and, in Padayao’s case, her failure to follow procedures regarding the hotel’s pet log. The trial court granted the summary judgment motion, finding that no triable issue of fact existed because plaintiffs failed to present substantial evidence showing that Island Hospitality’s reasons for the terminations were pretextual or that Island Hospitality had acted with discriminatory intent.
On appeal, plaintiffs contend that a triable issue of fact exists as to whether Island Hospitality terminated them due to their race and/or national origin. For the reasons stated below, we determine that Island Hospitality met its burden on summary judgment to show legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for terminating plaintiffs. (See Guz v. Bechtel National, Inc. (2000) 24 Cal.4th 317, 357 (Guz).) We also determine that plaintiffs produced no substantial evidence from which it could be reasonably inferred that Island Hospitality terminated them on the basis of their race and/or national origin. (See id. at p. 360.) Therefore, we will affirm the judgment in Island Hospitality’s favor.
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