Badgerow v. REJ Properties, Inc.

383 F. Supp. 3d 648
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedMay 28, 2019
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO: 17-9492
StatusPublished

This text of 383 F. Supp. 3d 648 (Badgerow v. REJ Properties, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Badgerow v. REJ Properties, Inc., 383 F. Supp. 3d 648 (E.D. La. 2019).

Opinion

JAY C. ZAINEY, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

The following motion is before the Court: Motion for Summary Judgment (Rec. Doc. 73) filed by defendant REJ Properties, Inc. d/b/a Walters, Meyer, Trosclair & Associates. Plaintiff Denise A. Badgerow opposes the motion. The motion was submitted for consideration on the briefs upon receipt of Defendant's reply memorandum on April 15, 2019. (Rec. Doc. 110, Order setting deadlines).

For the reasons that follow, the motion is GRANTED.

I. Background

Plaintiff Denise Badgerow ("Badgerow" or "Plaintiff") has filed this action against *652her former employer, REJ Properties, Inc. d/b/a Walters, Meyer, Trosclair & Associates ("WMT"), and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Ameriprise is a registered broker dealer that offers financial products and services to customers through several models, including through a franchisee-based platform of independent advisors who own and operate their own businesses as franchises. Ameriprise's principal place of business is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

WMT was a small private financial advisory practice affiliated with Ameriprise. The principals of WMT were Gregory Walters, Thomas Meyer, and Ray Trosclair, and those individuals were Ameriprise Franchise Financial Advisors during the period of Badgerow's employment. WMT was a d/b/a or branding name recognized by Ameriprise to allow franchise advisors to practice and market as a team, and it was operated and managed by Walters, Meyer, and Trosclair. WMT was domiciled in Lafourche Parish, with its main office located in Thibodaux, Louisiana.1

REJ Properties, Inc. was a corporate entity that WMT used when a juridical entity was necessary to WMT's operations. REJ Properties is the entity that paid WMT's employees during the time of Badgerow's employment.2

Greg Walters was the principal who hired Badgerow in January 2014. Badgerow completed a 90-day probationary period with WMT, and was ultimately promoted to Associate Financial Advisor ("AFA"), a title recognized by Ameriprise, when she passed her Series 7 exam. Walters mentored Badgerow throughout the brief period of time that she was with WMT and he helped to shape her career.

Becoming an AFA was significant in that Badgerow would now be eligible to earn commissions. One of Badgerow's claims in this case is that WMT retroactively changed her compensation structure in October 2014 after she made a large commissioned sale.

Badgerow contends that she was ill-used in a myriad of ways during her employment at WMT and she attributes this to her gender. Badgerow contends that she was bullied by Thomas Meyer as well as her female co-workers in the office.

On July 26, 2016, Walters terminated Badgerow after she declined to voluntarily resign. Badgerow contends that Walters terminated her in retaliation for speaking with Marc Cohen, who works for Ameriprise. During a telephone evaluation Badgerow had told Cohen that WMT was not *653paying her commissions through the Ameriprise-approved system. Badgerow had also complained to Cohen that she was being treated poorly at WMT.

Badgerow filed a Charge of Discrimination against WMT on September 8, 2016, claiming gender discrimination and retaliation. (Rec. Doc. 27-3 at 5). On October 6, 2016, she amended the charge to include class allegations. (Id. at 8). On June 27, 2017, the EEOC issued a dismissal and notice of rights (Id. at 13).

Badgerow filed the instant action and jury demand on September 22, 2017, against WMT and Ameriprise.3 Badgerow's original complaint alleged eleven causes of action against WMT, including claims for violations of Title VII (gender-based hostile work environment and retaliation),4 and the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d)(1) (disparate pay based on gender). Badgerow also brought a claim for disparate treatment based on gender5 as well as a breach of contract claim.

WMT now moves for summary judgment on all of Badgerow's remaining claims.6

II. WMT's Motion for Summary Judgment

WMT now moves for summary judgment arguing that Plaintiff's claims of discrimination, *654harassment, and retaliation should be dismissed because she does not present a prima facie case as to those claims nor create a triable issue of fact on the merits. WMT argues that Badgerow's Equal Pay Act claim is time-barred in whole or in part, and that she otherwise has failed to present evidence of any gender-based disparity in pay. Finally, WMT argues that Badgerow's breach of contract claim fails because she has no evidence of an agreement to pay her a fixed salary plus commission after she became an AFA.7

Summary judgment is appropriate only if "the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any," when viewed in the light most favorable to the non-movant, "show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact." TIG Ins. Co. v. Sedgwick James , 276 F.3d 754, 759 (5th Cir. 2002) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) ). A dispute about a material fact is "genuine" if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Id. (citing Anderson , 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505 ). The court must draw all justifiable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. Id. (citing Anderson , 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505 ). Once the moving party has initially shown "that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party's cause,"

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

S.E.C. v. Recile
10 F.3d 1093 (Fifth Circuit, 1993)
Forsyth v. Barr
19 F.3d 1527 (Fifth Circuit, 1994)
Jones v. Sheehan, Young & Culp, P.C.
82 F.3d 1334 (Fifth Circuit, 1996)
Shackelford v. Deloitte & Touche, LLP
190 F.3d 398 (Fifth Circuit, 1999)
Celestine v. Petroleos De Venezuella SA
266 F.3d 343 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
Woods v. Delta Beverage Group, Inc.
274 F.3d 295 (Fifth Circuit, 2001)
TIG Insurance v. Sedgwick James of Washington
276 F.3d 754 (Fifth Circuit, 2002)
Rachid v. Jack In The Box Inc
376 F.3d 305 (Fifth Circuit, 2004)
Wheeler v. BL Development Corp.
415 F.3d 399 (Fifth Circuit, 2005)
Cindy Bouvier v. Northrup Grumman Ship Systems
350 F. App'x 917 (Fifth Circuit, 2009)
Shelia Gilbert v. Brookshires Grocery Co
354 F. App'x 953 (Fifth Circuit, 2009)
McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green
411 U.S. 792 (Supreme Court, 1973)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc.
510 U.S. 17 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth
524 U.S. 742 (Supreme Court, 1998)
National Railroad Passenger Corporation v. Morgan
536 U.S. 101 (Supreme Court, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
383 F. Supp. 3d 648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/badgerow-v-rej-properties-inc-laed-2019.