Barker v. Peconic Landing at Southold, Inc.

885 F. Supp. 2d 564, 2012 WL 3096036, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105988
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided July 30, 2012·No. No. 11-CV-5086·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WEXLER, District Judge 1

This is an action commenced by Plaintiff Chris J. Barker (“Plaintiff’) alleging employment discrimination and retaliation pursuant to Federal and New York State Law. Named as Defendants are Plaintiffs employer Peconic Landing at Southold, Inc. (“Peconic”) as well as three individual employees of Peconic (the “Individual Defendants”). The Individual Defendants are sued pursuant to State law only. Presently before the court is the motion of Defendants, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to dismiss the complaint.

BACKGROUND

I. Facts

The facts set forth below are drawn from the complaint and accepted as true in the context of this motion.

A. The Parties

Plaintiff is an individual who alleges that he is disabled within the meaning of federal and state law. Specifically, Plaintiff states that he suffers from a 70% hearing loss, tinnitus and an injury to his left rota-tor cuff. Plaintiff was first employed by Peconic in 2008 in the position of Supervising Registered Nurse working the night shift. The individually named Defendants are Greg Garrett (“Garrett”), Dorothy Lockbridge (“Lockbridge”), Lee Cole (“Cole”) and Jane Wilsey (“Wilsey”). At all times relevant to the complaint, Garrett was Peconic’s Health Center Administrator, Lockbridge was its Director of Nursing, Cole was the Nursing Manager, and Wilsey was the facility’s Human Resources Director.

B. Incidents Described in the Complaint

Plaintiff’s complaint makes reference to several distinct incidents that occurred during the course of his employment at Peconic. The first set of incidents set forth in the complaint refer to specific acts involving Plaintiffs disability and alleged direct acts of discrimination stemming therefrom. The second set of facts in the complaint refer to alleged acts of misconduct observed by Plaintiff, his communication of those acts to his superiors, and the retaliation that is alleged to have followed.

[566] As to incidents alleging discrimination based upon Plaintiffs disability, the complaint refers first to a September 2010 altercation that took place outside of the Peeonic facility between a Peconic employee and her boyfriend. Plaintiff states that because of his hearing loss, he was unaware of this violent incident and therefore took no action with respect thereto. He states that as a result of his inaction, he was accused by Garrett of violating Peconic’s “Violence in the Workplace” policy. The violation led Garrett to place a warning in Plaintiffs work file, an act that Plaintiff describes as an act of intentional discrimination based upon Plaintiffs hearing disability.

Plaintiff also accuses Defendant Lock-bridge of engaging in discrimination by keeping a separate personnel file on him. This file, alleged to have been created on or about the time of the September 2010 incident, is alleged to be an act of discrimination on the ground that no such files were maintained with respect to other non-disabled employees. Plaintiff alleges that while he complained to Wilsey about the Lockbridge file, she failed to take any action on Plaintiffs complaint. The non-action by Wilsey is also alleged to constitute an act of intentional discrimination.

As to other acts of intentional discrimination, the complaint also refers to acts that took place during a January 2011 blizzard when Plaintiff was asked to cover a day shift because of a shortage in staffing. On that day, Lockbridge is alleged to have intentionally discriminated against Plaintiff by reprimanding him for speaking loudly, even though she knew that Plaintiff spoke loudly only because of his hearing impairment.

Next, Plaintiff complains about an incident that occurred in March of 2011. That incident is stated to demonstrate Defendants’ discrimination against Plaintiff on the basis of his rotator cuff disability. Specifically, Plaintiff states that despite his shoulder injury he was asked to lift a 180 pound man out of a wheelchair. Plaintiff states that when he rightfully refused to comply with this direction, he was issued a warning and threatened with termination by both Garrett and Wilsey.

In addition to the aforementioned incidents that are alleged to involve direct acts of discrimination, the complaint also refers to complaints made by Plaintiff to Peeonic management regarding wrongful conduct that he claims to have witnessed at the facility. Specifically, Plaintiff states that in December of 2010, he told Peconic’s management about his concern as to “a growing drug problem among fellow nurses and nurse’s assistants.” At or about the same time, Plaintiff told Peconic’s management about jewelry and credit card thefts taking place at the facility. He states further that he also complained about “unreported narcotic errors within the nurses notes.” Such errors are alleged to have been deliberately “covered up by Lockbridge.”

Plaintiff alleges that he was retaliated against for making the above-referenced complaints in February of 2011, when he was verbally reprimanded by Cole for failing to properly treat a patient. He states further that he was also retaliated against in March of 2011, when he was summoned to a disciplinary meeting held by Garrett, Lockbridge and Wilsey. Plaintiff states that at that meeting he was confronted with “fabricated accusations,” and ordered to participate in an Employee Assistance Program entailing “mental therapy.” In his final reference to action taken in retaliation for his complaints, Plaintiff alleges that he was terminated in retaliation for making “reports of drug use and thefts at Peconic.”

[567] II. Causes of Action

While Plaintiff’s complaint does not set forth separately numbered causes of action, the complaint alleges claims seeking damages for disability discrimination pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, (the “ADA”) and Section 290 of New York State Executive Law (the “Human Rights Law”). Plaintiff also seeks damages pursuant to Section 740 of the New York State Labor Law (“Section 740”). Section 740 is New York State’s “whistle blower statute.” It prohibits retaliation against employees who, inter alia, disclose to supervisors any activity that is in violation of law, which violation “creates and presents a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety.” N.Y. Labor L. § 740(2)(a).

III. The Motion to Dismiss

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Barker v. Peconic Landing at Southold, Inc., 885 F. Supp. 2d 564, 2012 WL 3096036, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105988 (E.D.N.Y. 2012).

885 F. Supp. 2d 564 (Barker v. Peconic Landing at Southold, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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