Julian Serrano and Rosa Serrano v. Union Planters Bank, N. A. and Beverly Mitrisen, Trustee

**Bank Employees Lose Emotional Distress Lawsuit** Julian and Rosa Serrano, former employees of Union Planters Bank, sued their employer and a bank trustee named Beverly Mitrisen. They claimed the defendants intentionally caused them severe emotional distress through their workplace actions. The couple sought compensation for the psychological harm they said they suffered. The court ruled against the Serranos at two levels. First, the trial court dismissed their case during the trial itself, finding they hadn't presented enough evidence to prove their claims. The appeals court later upheld this decision, agreeing that there wasn't credible evidence to support the emotional distress lawsuit. **What This Means for Workers:** This case highlights how challenging it can be to win emotional distress claims against employers. Workers need strong, credible evidence to prove their employer intentionally caused severe psychological harm. Simply feeling upset or stressed at work typically isn't enough – the conduct must be extreme and the emotional distress must be severe. Before pursuing such claims, workers should carefully document incidents and consider whether they have sufficient proof. It's also worth noting that other types of workplace claims, like discrimination or harassment, might be easier to prove than intentional infliction of emotional distress.