Bradley v. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.

657 F. Supp. 197, 42 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 36,910, 2 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1768, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2040, 43 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 708
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 19, 1987
Docket83 Civ. 7504 (SWK)
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 657 F. Supp. 197 (Bradley v. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bradley v. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc., 657 F. Supp. 197, 42 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 36,910, 2 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1768, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2040, 43 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 708 (S.D.N.Y. 1987).

Opinion

KRAM, District Judge.

This is an action under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2, et seq., 1 and common law tort principles. Plaintiff alleges race and sex discrimination in employment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, interference with economic relations, and interference with contractual relations and wrongful discharge. The case is presently before the Court on defendants’ motion for partial summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For the reasons outlined below, defendants’ motion is granted in part and denied in part.

FACTS

The following facts are not in dispute. Plaintiff Mamie Bradley (“Bradley”), a black female, was hired by defendant Consolidated Edison of New York, Inc. (“ConEd”) in 1966 as a Telephone Account Representative. In 1968, Bradley was named to the position of District Office Account Representative. She was promoted into management to the position of Assistant District Office Manager in 1972. Between 1972 and 1979, Bradley received annual salary increases and was promoted on two occasions to higher paying management titles, including Branch Manager of the East Bronx Branch Office. Bradley was named Branch Manager of the North Bronx Branch Office in 1979, without a salary increase, and remained in that position until 1982. In June 1982, Bradley was removed from that position and given special assignments. She went on disability leave in late August 1982. By April 1983, *201 Bradley had used up all her paid disability leave. ConEd claims her employment ended at that time. However, Bradley contends she still remains an employee of ConEd.

On July 6, 1982, Bradley registered a complaint with ConEd’s EEO office; that complaint was never acted upon by ConEd. On August 11, 1982, Bradley submitted a Charge of Discrimination to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”). 2 Bradley’s EEOC Charge was sent to the New York State Division of Human Rights which referred the charge back to the EEOC for investigation on October 5, 1982, in accordance with Title VII and the work-sharing agreement between these agencies. In July 1983, the EEOC concluded its investigation and issued a “Notice of Right to Sue”, which advised Bradley that the EEOC was “terminating any further processing of [her] charge” and that her right to sue would be lost if she did not initiate suit within 90 days from the receipt of such notice. Bradley initiated this action in October 1983, within the mandatory 90 day requirement. Her complaint asserts five causes of action. The first tour claims are based on state law theories of (1) intentional infliction of mental distress, (2) negligence, (3) interference with economic relations and (4) interference with concontractual relations and wrongful discharge. The fifth claim is based on Title VII.

Bradley has filed a workers’ compensation claim before the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board in May 1983.

DISCUSSION

The standards to be applied by a district court in deciding a motion for summary judgment have been clearly articulated in this Circuit. It is axiomatic that a motion for summary judgment lies only when there is no genuine issue of material fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). In considering the motion, this Court’s responsibility is not to resolve disputed issues of fact but to assess whether there are any factual issues to be tried, while resolving ambiguities and drawing reasonable inferences against the moving party. Knight v. United States Fire Insurance Co., 804 F.2d 9, 11 (2d Cir.1986) (citing Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., — U.S. -, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-11, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Eastway Construction Cory. v. City of New York, 762 F.2d 243, 249 (2d Cir.1985)). The movant bears the initial burden of demonstrating the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970). The movant may discharge this burden by demonstrating to the Court that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party’s case. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, — U.S.-, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). The nonmoving party then has the burden *202 of coming forward with “special facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial,” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e), and must “do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts,” Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Speculation, conelusory allegations, and mere denials are insufficient to raise genuine issues of fact.

Defendants move for partial summary judgment on the grounds that (1) plaintiffs Title VII allegations should be limited to those within the scope of her EEOC charge; (2) plaintiffs Title VII claim should be limited to those events which allegedly occurred within 300 days prior to the filing of her EEOC charge; (3) plaintiffs state tort claims fail to state claims on which relief may be granted; and (4) individually named defendants should be dismissed as separate parties to this action. The Court addresses defendants’ assertions seriatim.

Limiting the Title VII Allegations to Those in the EEOC Charge

A prerequisite to bringing a Title VII action is the filing of a discrimination charge with the EEOC and obtaining from that agency a “right-to-sue” letter. Meyer v. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 85 F.R.D. 149, 151 (S.D.N.Y.1980) (citing Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co., 415 U.S. 36, 47, 94 S.Ct. 1011, 1019, 39 L.Ed.2d 147 (1974)); 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(a), (b). The scope of judicial action as to the Title VII claim is then limited by the parameters of the EEOC investigation. See Silver v. Mohasco Corp., 602 F.2d 1083, 1090 (2d Cir. 1979) , rev’d on other grounds, 447 U.S. 807, 100 S.Ct. 2486, 65 L.Ed.2d 532 (1980). Generally, a court may consider, in addition to the original EEOC charges, those claims “reasonably related” to the EEOC charges. Almendral v. New York State Office of Mental Health,

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657 F. Supp. 197, 42 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 36,910, 2 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 1768, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2040, 43 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 708, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bradley-v-consolidated-edison-co-of-new-york-inc-nysd-1987.