Beary v. Centene Corporation

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Louisiana
DecidedSeptember 30, 2022
Docket3:20-cv-00009
StatusUnknown

This text of Beary v. Centene Corporation (Beary v. Centene Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beary v. Centene Corporation, (M.D. La. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA

JEFFREY BEARY CIVIL ACTION VERSUS NO. 20-9-SDJ CENTENE CORPORATION

RULING AND ORDER

Before the Court is a sealed Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Defendant Centene Corporation on January 24, 2022 (R. Doc. 39).1 Also before the Court is a document styled “Motion for Summary Judgment” filed by Plaintiff Jeffrey Beary, who is proceeding pro se in this litigation (R. Doc. 47). Centene has filed a Memorandum in response to Plaintiff’s Motion (R. Doc. 48). Oral argument on these Motions is not necessary. Having considered both Motions, supporting memoranda, and exhibits; Centene’s Opposition; and applicable legal authorities, the Court finds that Centene is entitled to summary judgment regarding Plaintiff’s claims against it. Accordingly, it is ordered that Centene’s Motion for Summary Judgment be granted and that all of Plaintiff’s claims against it be dismissed with prejudice. It also is ordered the Plaintiff’s Motion be denied.

1 As an initial matter, the Court notes that while it granted permission for Defendant Centene Corp. to file its Motion for Summary Judgment under seal, the Court does not find that this Ruling and Order should be sealed. See June Med. Servs., L.L.C. v. Phillips, 22 F.4th 512, 521 (5th Cir. 2022) (noting that “at the adjudicative stage … the standard for shielding records from public view is far more arduous” and that courts “should be ungenerous with their discretion to seal judicial records”); BP Expl. & Prod., Inc. v. Claimant ID 100246928, 920 F.3d 209, 211 (5th Cir. 2019) (recognizing “a strong presumption of public access to our court’s records”). I. BACKGROUND A. Preliminary Note Regarding Plaintiff’s Motion In response to the Motion for Summary Judgment filed by Centene, and within the time allotted by this Court for Plaintiff to file an opposition thereto, Plaintiff filed a document styled “Motion for Summary Judgment.”2 However, Plaintiff’s Motion fails to comply with this Court’s

Local Civil Rule 56(b)(1), which mandates that “[a] motion for summary judgment shall be supported by a separate, short, and concise statement of material facts, each set forth in separately numbered paragraphs, as to which the moving party contends there is no genuine issue of material fact to be tried.” Plaintiff’s Motion consists entirely of a short, introductory paragraph, followed by two numbered alleged “uncontroverted material facts in support of this Motion.”3 This does not comport with LR 56(b)(1) in that the purported statement of “uncontroverted material facts” is not separate from the Motion itself, instead primarily comprising said Motion. Additionally, Local Civil Rule 7(d) requires contested motions to be accompanied by a separate memorandum in support containing “a concise statement of reasons supporting the motion and citations of

authorities.” Plaintiff’s Motion does not, consisting only of the Motion itself. As such, the Court finds that as a motion seeking summary judgment, Plaintiff’s “Motion for Summary Judgment” is procedurally inadequate and, therefore, must be denied as such. See NCO Fin. Sys., Inc. v. Harper– Horsley, No. 07–4247, 2008 WL 2277843, at *3 (E.D. La. May 29, 2008) (“a pro se litigant is not ‘exempt … from compliance with relevant rules of procedural and substantive law.’”) (quoting Birl v. Estelle, 660 F.2d 592, 593 (5th Cir.1981)); see also Berry v. LoanCity, 489 F.Supp.3d 441, 447 (M.D. La. 2020) (a “court is not required to search for or try to create causes of actions or find material issues of fact for pro se plaintiffs”).

2 R. Doc. 47. 3 Id. at 1-2. However, Plaintiff’s Motion, which was filed in response to an Order by this Court establishing a deadline for Plaintiff to file an opposition to Centene’s Motion for Summary Judgment, contains a “Counter-Statement of Disputed Facts,” in which Plaintiff “respectfully responds to Centene Corporation’s ‘Statement of Uncontested Material Facts.’”4 Plaintiff’s Counter-Statement largely comports with Local Civil Rule 56(c), which mandates that “[a] party

opposing a motion for summary judgment shall submit with its opposition a separate, short, and concise statement of material facts” that “shall admit, deny or qualify the facts by reference to each numbered paragraph of the moving party’s statement of material facts and unless a fact is admitted, shall support each denial or qualification by a record citation as required by this rule.” Plaintiff does specifically address each of Centene’s alleged Undisputed Material Facts, stating whether each is admitted or denied, though not all denials contain record citations. However, as pro se litigants are held to less stringent standards in presenting their cases, the Court will interpret Plaintiff’s Motion as an opposition to Centene’s Motion for Summary Judgment. See S.E.C. v. AMX, Int’l, Inc., 7 F.3d 71, 75 (5th Cir. 1993) (recognizing the established rule that courts must

construe pro se plaintiff’s allegations and briefs more permissively and liberally). The Court therefore considers Centene’s Motion for Summary Judgment opposed. B. Relevant Factual and Procedural Background Plaintiff began working as a data analyst for Centene Management Company, LLC, on March 30, 2015.5 In August of 2017, Plaintiff filed a Charge of Discrimination with Louisiana Commission on Human Rights.6 In that Charge of Discrimination, numbered 27A-2017-00038, Plaintiff claims he suffered disability discrimination because a request for an accommodation due

4 R. Doc. 47-1 at 1-8; R. Doc. 45. 5 R. Doc. 39-1 at 2; 39-3 at 1. 6 Id.; R. Doc. 39-2 at 12; R. Doc. 39-3 at 1; R. Doc. 47-1 at 2. to a medical condition he was suffering was not met.7 Prior to that LCHR request, Plaintiff, in July 2017, filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, number 461-2017-01523, also alleging disability discrimination after his request for a reasonable accommodation had been denied.8 On April 3, 2019, Plaintiff and Centene entered into both a Mediation Settlement

Agreement and a Separation Agreement and General Release in which, inter alia, the Parties agreed that Plaintiff’s employment at Centene would be terminated and reached a settlement agreement resolving Plaintiff’s discrimination allegations against Centene.9 Shortly thereafter, on July 5, 2019, Plaintiff filed a second Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC, numbered 461- 2019-01065, in which Plaintiff alleged retaliation and disability discrimination based on his “discharge[]” from Centene on March 4, 2019.10 On January 6, 2020, Plaintiff filed suit against Centene, alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, in addition to various Louisiana state laws.11 Plaintiff

subsequently filed an Amended Complaint on July 23, 2021, in response to this Court’s grant of a Motion to Dismiss filed by Centene.12 In his Amended Complaint, Plaintiff brings claims against Centene for alleged violations of the ADA, the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law (La. R.S. 23:301, et seq.), and the Louisiana Whistleblower Statute (La. R.S. 23:967), as well as for Unlawful Violation of a Conciliation Agreement (La. R.S. 51:2258) and breach of contract.13

7 R. Doc. 39-2 at 12. 8 R. Doc. 39-1 at 2; R. Doc. 39-3 at 1; R. Doc. 47-1 at 2. 9 R. Doc. 39-1 at 2-3; R. Doc. 39-2 at 1-2, 3-10; R. Doc. 39-3 at 2; R.

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

Related

Forsyth v. Barr
19 F.3d 1527 (Fifth Circuit, 1994)
Little v. Liquid Air Corp.
37 F.3d 1069 (Fifth Circuit, 1994)
Jones v. Sheehan, Young & Culp, P.C.
82 F.3d 1334 (Fifth Circuit, 1996)
Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
BP Exploration & Prodn, Inc. v. ID
920 F.3d 209 (Fifth Circuit, 2019)
Topalian v. Ehrman
954 F.2d 1125 (Fifth Circuit, 1992)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Beary v. Centene Corporation, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beary-v-centene-corporation-lamd-2022.