Page:Brown v. Tucker.pdf/7

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Ark.]
Brown v. Tucker
Cite as 330 Ark. 435 (1997)
441


Corp. v. Rooney, 912 F.2d 1049 (9th Cir. 1990)). The words allegedly used by Appellee clearly possess the general tenor of an opinion, as opposed to a verifiable statement of fact. Further.more, as with the first claim, Appellant has offered no factual assertion that he was damaged by the alleged slanderous remarks.

[11] In the third instance, Appellant claims that Appellee's "actions exceeded all bounds of common decency, amounting to tort of outrage for plaintiff's emotional distress." In order to establish an outrage claim, it must be shown: (1) the actor intended to inflict emotional distress or knew or should have known that emotional distress was the likely result of his conduct; (2) the conduct was "extreme and outrageous," was "beyond all possible bounds of decency," and was "utterly intolerable in a civilized community"; (3) the actions of the defendant were the cause of the plaintiff's distress; and (4) the emotional distress sustained by the plaintiff was so severe that no reasonable man could be expected to endure it. Angle v. Alexander, 328 Ark. 714, 945 S.W.2d 933 (1997) (citing Deitsch v. Tillery, 309 Ark. 401, 833 S.W.2d 760 (1992)). Appellant's complaint contains nothing more than bare legal conclusions that Appellee's actions were extreme and exceeded all bounds of common decency.

[12] In sum, even construing the complaint liberally, Appellant has failed to state sufficient facts upon which any relief can be granted. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court did not err in dismissing the complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6). We further modify the trial court's ruling to be a dismissal with prejudice, as Appellant has indicated that a prior suit was brought by him against Appellee and that the action was voluntarily nonsuited by him. See Bakker v. Ralston, 326 Ark. 575, 932 S.W.2d 325 (1996). Because we affirm the trial court's ruling under Rule 12(b)(6), we need not address the remaining issues pertaining to immunity.

Affirmed as modified.

Special Justices WILLIAM RANDALL WRIGHT, MICHELE HARRINGTON, and RICHARD LUSBY join in this opinion.