Barnard v. Lackawanna County

194 F. Supp. 3d 337, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88517, 2016 WL 3654473
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJuly 8, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 3:15-2220
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 194 F. Supp. 3d 337 (Barnard v. Lackawanna County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barnard v. Lackawanna County, 194 F. Supp. 3d 337, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88517, 2016 WL 3654473 (M.D. Pa. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

MALACHY E. MANNION, United States District Judge

Pending before the court is the defendants, Lackawanna County and Brian Loughney’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. (Doc. 9). Based upon the following analysis, the court will grant the defendants’ motion.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

By way of relevant background, on November 19, 2015, the plaintiff commenced the instant action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming that the defendants engaged in First Amendment retaliation for the plaintiffs participation in First Amendment protected activities. (Doc. 1). The plaintiff, an employee of Lackawanna County for over fifteen years, participated in union picketing with the Lackawanna County Children & Youth unionized workers on May 14, 2015. Id. ¶¶ 10, 11, The plaintiff was subsequently suspended without pay in response to her presence at the rally. Id. ¶¶ 15-16. In her complaint, the plaintiff asserts two claims relating to her suspension. In Count I, the plaintiff claims that defendants, Brian Loughney and Lackawanna County, suspended her without pay in direct retaliation for engaging in First Amendment protected activities. Id. ¶¶9-16. In Count II, the plaintiff alleges that Lackawanna County is liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 because it failed to train and supervise its employees in a way that would ensure they did not harm employees engaging in union activities.

On December 14, 2015, the defendants filed an answer to the complaint, wkich both denies any liability and raises numerous- affirmative defenses, including failure to state a claim and qualified immunity. (Doc. 8). In the answer, the defendants also attached five (5) exhibits to support and supplement their responses and state[339]*339ments made in the answer. Id., Exs. A-E. The plaintiff then filed a Motion to Strike the Exhibits attached to the defendants’ answer, (Doe. 11), and the defendants filed a brief in opposition. (Doc. 16). The plaintiff filed a reply brief to the defendants’ opposition to her Motion to Strike on January 4, 2016. (Doc. 20). For the reasons noted herein, the court will deny the plaintiffs Motion to Strike. (Doc. 11).

Around this same time, the plaintiff also filed a Motion to Stay the Complaint until disability claims at EEOC are ripe for prosecution. (Doc. 17). The defendants filed a brief in opposition to the Motion on January 11, 2016, (Doc. 22), and the plaintiff filed a reply brief on January 21, 2016. (Doc. 27). This court denied the Motion to Stay on January 29,2016. (Doc. 30).

Finally, the defendants filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings on December 14, 2015. (Doc. 9). On December 28, 2015, the plaintiff filed a brief in opposition to the defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, (Doc. 19), to which the defendants filed a reply brief on January 11, 2016. (Doc. 21). The Motion is now ripe for this court’s decision.

II. Legal Standard

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(c) states, “[a]fter the pleadings are closed— but early enough not to delay trial — a party may move for judgment on the pleadings.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(c). Judgment will be granted if “the movant clearly establishes there are no material issues of fact, and he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Sikirica v. Nationwide Ins. Co., 416 F.3d 214, 220 (3d Cir.2005). Generally, the standard for deciding a motion for judgment on the pleadings pursuant to Rule 12(c) is identical to that for deciding a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6). Turbe v. Gov’t of V.I., 938 F.2d 427, 428 (3d Cir. 1991). The court must view “the facts presented in the pleadings and the inferences drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Id.-, see also Castaneira v. Potteiger, 621 Fed.Appx. 116, 119-20 (3d Cir.2015) (not precedential); Washington v. Hanshaw, 552 Fed. Appx. 169, 171 (3d Cir.2014) (not prece-dential). However, the court need not accept inferences drawn by the plaintiff if they are unsupported by the facts as set forth in the complaint. See California Pub. Employees’ Ret. Sys. v. The Chubb Corp., 394 F.3d 126, 143 (3d Cir.2004) (citing Morse v. Lower Merion School Dist., 132 F.3d 902, 906 (3d Cir.1997)). The court also need not accept legal conclusions set forth as factual allegations. Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (citing Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286, 106 S.Ct. 2932, 92 L.Ed.2d 209 (1986)).

A viable complaint must include “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its’face.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 554, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (rejecting the traditional 12(b)(6) standard set forth in Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957)), “Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level.” Id at 555,127 S.Ct. 1955. See also Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 554, 127 S.Ct. 1955, and providing further guidance on the standard set forth therein) (holding that, while the complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations, it must contain more than a “formulaic recitation of the elements” of a claim and must state a claim that is plausible on its face).

In deciding the defendants’ motion, the court should generally consider only the allegations contained in the complaint, the exhibits attached to the complaint, matters of public record, and “undisputably authentic” documents .which plaintiff has identified as the basis of his claim. See [340]*340Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. v. White Consolidated Industries, Inc., 998 F.2d 1192, 1196 (3d Cir.1993). In addition, unlike a motion to dismiss, in ruling on a motion for judgment on the pleadings, “the court ... reviews not only the complaint but also the answer and written instruments attached to the pleadings.” Brautigam v. Fraley, 684 F.Supp.2d 589, 591 (M.D.Pa.2010).

III. Discussion

The defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, (Doc. 9), argues that, pursuant to Rule 12(c), the plaintiffs Complaint must be dismissed for failure to “set forth actionable claims as against Defendants.” (Doc. 9, ¶4).

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Bluebook (online)
194 F. Supp. 3d 337, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88517, 2016 WL 3654473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barnard-v-lackawanna-county-pamd-2016.