Table of Contents
Howard University professor Reginald Robinson's test question - September 17, 2015
Question 5.
P owned and member managed 鈥淒ay Spa & Massage Therapy Company, LLC.鈥 P catered to men and women. Among other services, P offered Brazilian and bikini waxes 鈥 sometimes called 鈥淪phynx,鈥 bare waxing, or Hollywood waxing. To provide these services, P hired A, an Aesthetician, who had been fully certified and licensed by the school at which A had studied and by the state in which P was located. One day, T visited P鈥檚 company. T had never sought such services, but T鈥檚 friends had raved about P鈥檚 waxes. A met T at the service desk. T asked for a Brazilian wax. 鈥淎 full or modified Brazilian?鈥 A asked. T looked confused, and so A explained that a Full Brazilian (鈥淔B鈥) would render T hairless from belly button to buttocks, and a FB required T would be naked from the waist down. A FB required A to touch T鈥檚 body and to adjust T鈥檚 body so that A could access every follicle of pubic hair. Next, A explained a Modified Brazilians (鈥淢B鈥). A MB left a thin strip of hair at the top of T鈥檚 genitalia, viz., a 鈥渓anding strip.鈥 T opted for FB. A again told T that A would have to touch T鈥檚 genitals to complete the waxing. T agreed, and T signed the service contract and initialed the space for acknowledging A鈥檚 information. T got undressed in a private salon, where T also drank hot herbal tea. At A鈥檚 behest, T, w who was waist down naked, got on the waxing table. Once on the table, with instrumental tones wafting, T drifted into light sleep; A completed the FB. Upon awaking, T felt physically uncomfortable, asking A if A had touched T improperly. A, saying no, and feeling offended, walked out. Two weeks later, P received a letter from T鈥檚 attorney, in which T alleged that A had improperly touched T, causing T to seeking counseling and drugs for post-traumatic stress disorder. Having worked with A for 10 years, P responded that A was a certified, licensed Aesthetician, who鈥檇 never had any such allegations filed by clients. T sued P, and in deposing A, P and T鈥檚 attorney learned that A had properly touched T during the FB. Nevertheless, T still felt that A鈥檚 touching was improper. In the suit, T alleged that A, cloaked with the apparent authority, had induced T by false representations to rely reasonably on A, so that A, while within the scope of employment, could cause harm to T. If P demurred, in effect saying 鈥淵eah, so what!鈥 to T鈥檚 pleadings, will the court find in favor of T?
(A) Yes, because T had established that A was a servant who was placed into A鈥檚 position as an Aesthetician, which enabled A to harm to T.
(B) No, because T expressly and impliedly consented to A touching T in any manner that was reasonable for A to provide the FB service that T requested.
(C) Yes, because P benefited from the revenue paid by T to P for services performed by A.
(D) No.