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Appellees Lewis Plugge, Ronnie Stanford, and James Whitby, three former employees of appellant Talbot County, Maryland, (the “County”) who worked for the County-owned Hog Neck Golf Course, were terminated in 2010. Upon termination, they filed suit against the County for breach of contract in the Circuit Court for Talbot County. Appellees alleged the County breached the terms of the employee handbook that governed their employer–employee relationship with the County.
The County filed three separate Motions to Dismiss or Alternatively, for Summary Judgment (“Motions to Dismiss”), which each sought to dismiss the complaints of appellees. The County additionally filed a Motion for Summary Judgment after the close of discovery, which was also denied.
During trial, the County filed a Motion for Judgment, which it made at the close of appellee’s case and then renewed upon presentation of all the evidence. At the end of trial, a jury verdict was returned in favor of appellees.
The County has noted an appeal contesting the denial of these several motions filed throughout the case. It presents a single question for our review, which we have rephrased as follows:
Whether the language in the employee handbook was sufficient to preclude appellees’ reliance on the layoff provisions of the document.
