Anthony v. Burkhart

28 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16211, 1998 WL 730160
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedSeptember 30, 1998
Docket95-861-Civ.-T-17E
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 28 F. Supp. 2d 1239 (Anthony v. Burkhart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anthony v. Burkhart, 28 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16211, 1998 WL 730160 (M.D. Fla. 1998).

Opinion

ORDER

KOVACHEVICH, Chief Judge.

Pro se prisoner Plaintiff filed a civil rights complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on June 6, 1995. Plaintiff names as Defendants three employees of the PRIDE 1 Furniture Factory at Avon Park Correctional Institution. Plaintiff was incarcerated at Avon Park Correctional Institution at the time the alleged events of which he complains occurred.

Plaintiff complains that “Defendants violated my civil rights by conspiring to dismiss me solely because of race, and my utilizing the PRIDE grievance procedure in violation of 42 U.S.C. Sections 1981 & 1983.” (Complaint, p. 7)

In support of his claim, Plaintiff alleges the following facts:

On or about March 8, 1995 I initiated a complaint against Charles L. BURK-HART, about not having Black inmate workers in the main office of PRIDE Furniture Factory, who qualified for such position. Following PRIDE’s personal policy letter for inmate programs, Policy Number 806.1 effective September 23, 1991, I filed my complaint to my immediate supervisor Clifford Godfrey. He could not settle the complaint.
I was then interviewed by Charles L. BURKHART, who advised me to make a list of all those who qualified for an office position who was Black. On or about March 17, 1995 a complete list of qualified Black inmates was hand delivered by me to Mr. BURKHART who took the list and said he would get back to me. On or about March 27, 1995 I was promoted from the saw division of PRIDE and placed into an office in the R.T.A. Division of PRIDE as a hardware clerk. I spoke with my new supervisor, Stewart Kirk and advised him that my status did not change the initial complaint because no qualified Black worker was in the main office of PRIDE. On or about April 3,1995 the Plaintiff received his response back from Stewart Kirk who advised that several Black workers held clerical positions but he failed to address the initial complaint of having no Blacks working in the main office of PRIDE.
The Plaintiff was then accused of using the company’s printer for his own personal use. The Plaintiff explained to Mr. Runner that his supervisor gave him permission to use the printer when needed. Mr. Runner advised the Plaintiff that the policy had changed and no inmates were allowed to use the printer for personal use. The Plaintiff explained that he never was told about the change, no memo reflected this change and no meeting to cover the subject. The Plaintiff was then told that his supervisor will have to deal with him once he got back. On or about April 14, 1995 the Plaintiff was fired by Stewart Kirk for his alleged use of PRIDE’s printer. On or about May 1, 1995 the Plaintiff filed a complaint about the racial motives behind his dismissal.
On or about May 9, 1995 Charles BURKHART responded to the Plaintiffs complaint and again asked the Plaintiff to provide information to him that he has access to himself. Mr. BURKHART also violated company policy by not sending the Plaintiff a copy of the attached portion of his complaint violating Rule 806.1. On May 16, 1995 Plaintiff filed to the office of the vice president Pamela Jo Davis who has also violated company policy 806.1 for her failure to respond to the complaint of the Plaintiff. The Defendants have conspired to violate my civil rights within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e-5(B) and Title VII.
The Plaintiff did file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Agency (EEOC) who responded Plaintiff wasn’t an employee of PRIDE of Florida. The *1241 Plaintiff was an employee of PRIDE of Florida.
(1) Charles L. BURKHART plant manager of PRIDE of Florida conspired with Supervisor Stewart Kirk, and Mike Runner to terminate the Plaintiff solely because he was Black and that he attempted to brake [sic] a cycle of no Black workers who qualify to work in the main office of PRIDE Furniture Factory.
(2) The termination of the Plaintiff was alleged due to Plaintiffs use of a company printer.
(3) The Plaintiff has knowledge that inmate workers have also been given approval by Stewart Kirk to use printer, for personal use.
(4) Other inmate workers have also violated rules which did not result into their termination.
(5) The use of the copier was only a smoke screen for terminating the Plaintiff where similar situated inmate workers were not terminated.
(6) The promotion of the Plaintiff to the saw division to the R.T.A. division as a hardware clerk was to somehow curb the Plaintiff’s quest to work in the main office. After this plan failed the Plaintiff was stalk [sic] and subsequently fired.
(7) The policy 806.1 is not effective when the company employers fails to obey their own protocol.
(8) Charles L. BURKHART, Stewart Kirk and Mike Runner all conspired together to have Plaintiff terminated solely because he was a Black worker attempting to get an office position to which he was initially hired to do. The Plaintiff was hired on or about September 22, 1994 to work in the main office. Upon arrival Plaintiff was told all office jobs was filled. The Plaintiff took a job to wait on an opening. Once openings occurred the workers was replaced with another white worker. Several openings came and went. Each time Plaintiff was overlooked. The Plaintiff then initiated this complaint of racial discrimination. This prompted conspiracy against the Plaintiff.
(9)The Plaintiff has suffered depression, and mental anguish as a result of his termination.
As relief, Plaintiff seeks:
(1) The Plaintiff seeks $25,000 Twenty-five thousand dollars from each named Defendant.
(2) The return to his current status before his termination including the same rate of pay.
(3) Plaintiff seeks attorney fees for Court costs.

(Complaint, pp. 8-11. Some editing for readability.)

It appears that Plaintiffs claim for the return to his current status is moot. According to Plaintiff, he is serving a life sentence and PRIDE has changed its policy to exclude all “lifer’s” from its work force. (See Doc. No. 46, p. 2)

On October 10, 1995, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss (Doc. No. 13), which the Court denied on October 31, 1995. On September 4, 1996, Defendants filed their answer. Subsequently, the Court set dates for discovery and for filing dispositive motions. (Doc. No. 29)

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Bluebook (online)
28 F. Supp. 2d 1239, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16211, 1998 WL 730160, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anthony-v-burkhart-flmd-1998.