Mission Independent School Dist v. Diserens, 11481.
Decision Date | 07 February 1945 |
Docket Number | No. 11481.,11481. |
Citation | 186 S.W.2d 108 |
Parties | MISSION INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DIST. v. DISERENS. |
Court | Texas Court of Appeals |
Appeal from District Court, Ninety-Third District, Hidalgo County; W. R. Blalock, Judge.
Suit by the Mission Independent School District against Ethel Diserens to enjoin defendant from teaching in the Cisco Independent School District in violation of a negative covenant in her contract of employment as a teacher in plaintiff's public school system. From a judgment refusing an injunction and dismissing the cause, plaintiff appeals.
Affirmed.
H. H. Rankin, Jr., of Edinburg, and Black, Graves & Stayton, of Austin, for appellant.
Kelley & Looney and L. Hamilton Lowe, all of Edinburg, for appellee.
This suit was instituted by Mission Independent School District against Ethel Diserens seeking an order of the 92d District Court of Hidalgo County enjoining defendant from teaching music in the Cisco Independent School District at Cisco, Eastland County, Texas.
The trial court refused the injunction and dismissed the cause.
Mission Independent School District has prosecuted this appeal.
The facts are undisputed. For the purpose of this suit the defendant admitted the following allegations of plaintiff's petition:
Appellant admits that it is not entitled to nor is it asking an injunction requiring appellee to perform the affirmative covenant in the contract to teach in the Mission School, but contends that it is entitled to an injunction prohibiting appellee from violating the negative covenant in her contract not to teach school in any other school in the State of Texas, and particularly in the Cisco School where she is now teaching. Appellant says that it is entitled to have such injunction as an inducement to appellee to perform the affirmative covenant in the contract to teach in the Mission School.
This is a case of first impression in this State and as far as we know there is no reported case exactly on all fours with this case; that is, where a teacher in a public school was involved.
We have been cited to Lumley v. Wagner, an early English case, 1852; Keith v. Kellerman, C.C., 169 F. 196; McCaull v. Braham, C.C., 16 F. 37; Philadelphia Ball Club v. Lajoie, 202 Pa. 210, 51 A. 973, 58 L.R.A. 227, 90 Am.St.Rep. 627; Tribune Ass'n v. Simonds, N.J.Ch., 104 A. 386.
In the Lumley case a very noted singer was enjoined from performing in other theatres where she had contracted not to do so during the existence of her contract.
In the Kellerman case, Annette Kellerman, America's first bathing beauty, was enjoined from performing for any one else during the time she had contracted to perform only for Keith.
In the Lajoie case "Nap" Lajoie, a very popular baseball player, was enjoined from playing with a rival club during the time he had contracted only to play with the Philadelphia Ball Club.
In the Simonds case Frank H. Simonds, a very famous war news writer during World War I, was enjoined from writing for other publications during the time he had contracted to write only for the New York Tribune.
However, it is apparent that in each of these cases the complaining party was not only injured by the failure of the defendant to keep his or her affirmative covenant, but was also injured directly by the breach of the negative covenant.
In the present case it is readily apparent that appellant is not injured in any way by appellee's breach of her negative covenant. In other words, the Mission School is not injured by appellee's teaching in the Cisco School. The only benefit the Mission School could receive if the injunction prayed for should be granted would be the possibility that appellee might be induced thereby to comply with her contract to teach in the Mission School.
We are impressed with the contention of appellee that such injunction should not be granted unless the breach of the negative covenant alone and apart from the breach of the affirmative covenant work a direct injury to the employer.
In the Restatement of the Law by the American Law Institute, Volume II of Contracts, Section 379, p. 702, it is stated:
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