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Susanne Littlefield v. Malcolm McGuffey Susanne Littlefield v. Wally MacK Santa Maria Realty and Malcolm McGuffey Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A landlord refused to rent to a woman after learning her child’s father was of a different race, then engaged in extreme harassment. The court affirmed a large damage award for housing discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED).
Legal Significance: Establishes that under Illinois law, a claim for IIED does not require physical manifestation of emotional distress. Also affirms that a defendant’s financial status is their burden to prove in mitigation of punitive damages, not the plaintiff’s burden to prove for entitlement.
Susanne Littlefield v. Malcolm McGuffey Susanne Littlefield v. Wally MacK Santa Maria Realty and Malcolm McGuffey Law School Study Guide
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Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
Susanne Littlefield entered an agreement with landlord Malcolm McGuffey to rent an apartment. After accepting her security deposit and giving her a key, McGuffey learned that the father of Littlefield’s daughter, Bruce Collins, was of a different race. McGuffey immediately became agitated, reneged on the rental agreement, changed the locks, and put Littlefield’s belongings on the porch. He then began a campaign of harassment. This included numerous phone calls to Littlefield and her sister, using racial slurs, mimicking a stereotypical Black accent, and claiming to be a KKK member. He also left a note on Littlefield’s new apartment door containing a death threat against Collins and racial epithets. Littlefield testified to suffering severe emotional distress, including hysteria, fear for her daughter’s safety, and constant anxiety, but did not present evidence of medically significant physical symptoms. McGuffey denied the allegations, claiming he rejected her for being a poor credit risk, but his testimony was found to lack credibility. A jury found for Littlefield on her Fair Housing Act, § 1982, and state IIED claims, awarding $50,000 in compensatory and $100,000 in punitive damages.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress under Illinois law require evidence of a medically significant physical manifestation of the distress, and must a plaintiff prove a defendant’s financial worth to recover punitive damages for federal civil rights violations?
No. The court affirmed the judgment, holding that Illinois law does not Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerc
IRAC Legal Analysis
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Legal Issue
Does a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress under Illinois law require evidence of a medically significant physical manifestation of the distress, and must a plaintiff prove a defendant’s financial worth to recover punitive damages for federal civil rights violations?
Conclusion
This case provides a clear application of the elements of IIED in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequ
Legal Rule
Under Illinois common law, a plaintiff can recover for intentional infliction of Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim ven
Legal Analysis
The court's analysis focused heavily on the state law tort claim and Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Exc
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- A landlord was held liable for housing discrimination and IIED for