Wash. Court of Appeals published opinion — D2 43703-1-II Published Opinion.pdf

In 1999, Qwest hired Alonso as a Central Office Equipment Installation Technician to

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install and maintain network infrastructure. In 2006, Alonso was reassigned from the central

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office to a position that services customer location sites, which became known as an " AQCB"

position. Several months before Alonso was reassigned to AQCB duty, Qwest provided him
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with a new work van, a cellular telephone, office space, and a computer.

When Alonso was reassigned to AQCB duty, two people performed AQCB

responsibilities. Alonso enjoyed AQCB work, and in 2007, according to Alonso, he and his

then -coworker, William Kling, achieved the distinction of "being first in quality and productivity

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We refer to Alonso' s employer as Qwest because that is the named party involved here. The

record, however, refers to Alonso' s employer as US West, Qwest, and Century Link,
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The meaning behind the acronym " AQCB" is unclear from the record.

4 It is unclear when, exactly, Alonso received his cellular telephone, office space, and computer.

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No. 43703 -1 - II

over a 14 state region." Suppl. Clerk' s Papers ( CP) at 232. The next year, however, Martinez

became Alonso' s manager. Martinez, also a Mexican -American and military veteran, practiced a

management style with which Alonso did not agree; and by April 2010, their work relationship

had soured.

Alonso alleges that Martinez surrounded himself with other Qwest employees, Jose

Zuniga, Brad Tuttle, and Dave Thomas, who collectively treated Alonso poorly and tormented

him because of his military status, Mexican heritage, and disabilities, including his speech