Bruzzese v. Lynch

191 F. Supp. 3d 237, 2016 WL 3220986
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJune 8, 2016
Docket13-CV-5733
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 191 F. Supp. 3d 237 (Bruzzese v. Lynch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bruzzese v. Lynch, 191 F. Supp. 3d 237, 2016 WL 3220986 (E.D.N.Y. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

Jack B. Weinstein, -Senior United States District Judge

, Table of Contents

I.Introduction... .239

II. Facts .. .240

III. Procedural Background_242

IV. Law .. .243

A. Summary Judgment .. .243

B. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 .. .244

1. Qualified Individual .. .244

2. Individual with a disability .. .245

V. Application of Law to Facts .. .246

A. Plaintiff cannot make out a prima facie case_246

1. Plaintiff is not a “qualified individual”... 246

2. Plaintiff is not an “individual with a disability” .. .247

3. Plaintiff was not discriminated against because of a disability.. .247

B. Defendant offered non-discriminatory reasons which are not pretexted .. .248

VI. Conclusion .. .249

I. Introduction

This case demonstrates the necessity of granting substantial deference to supervisors of employees who may endanger the public by their control of firearms or other dangerous instruments. When firearms or other dangerous instruments are involved, an employer must have complete confidence in the ability of its employees to safely and properly perform his or her duties, and be able to remove that employee when that confidence is absent. A supervisor in an organization issuing firearms to its employees has a special obligation to the public to take precautions against their misuse.

As law enforcement officers, federal Special Agents are given the right to use [240]*240deadly force in complex, emergency situations. Plaintiff gave his supervisors good reason to question his judgment. They appropriately took away his firearm after conducting a thorough investigation. If plaintiff had retained his firearm and had inappropriately injured or killed someone, not only would there be the loss of innocent life, but his supervisors and employer would face significant public criticism, and liability.

Adam'Bruzzese sues Attorney General Loretta Lynch in her capacity as head of the Department of Justice, which administers the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”). He alleges discrimination in violation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq. Plaintiffs claims stem from his re-assignment from the position of Special Agent with the ATF to that of Technical Surveillance Specialist—in his view due to his mental health condition.

Defendant moves for summary judgment. A hearing was held on June 1, 2016. See Hr’g Tr., June 1, 2016. The motion is granted.

II. Facts

Plaintiff joined the ATF in 2000 as a Special Agent. PL’s Counterstatement of Material Facts in Response to Def.’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts Pursuant to Local Civ. R. 56.1, Feb. 20, 2016, ECF No. 58-1 (“56.1 Response”), at ¶1. The Special Agent job description prescribes the use of “tact and discretion in investigative assignments which are typically of a sensitive nature,” Id, at ¶ 13. Carrying a firearm is an essential function of a Special Agent’s job. Id. at ¶ 5.'

From October 2002 to June 2009, plaintiff was assigned to Group IV in the New York Field Division office in Brooklyn. Id. at ¶¶ 2, 6. The Special Agents in Group IV, of which there are generally 8-10, focus on firearms trafficking cases. Id. at ¶¶ 3, 10. From time to time their work is integrated with that of officers from the New York Police Department and New York State Police. Id. at ¶ 11. While a member of Group IV, plaintiff’s immediate supervisor was Group Supervisor Eric Immesberger. His second-level supervisor was Assistant Special Agent in Charge Delano Reid. His third-level supervisor was Special Agent in Charge Ronald Turk. Id. at ¶¶ 7-9.

Plaintiffs immediate supervisor became concerned about plaintiffs mental health after incidents including:

• an interaction between plaintiff and Group Supervisor Immesberger following a failed undercover drug purchase operation in the Summer of 2005;
• an .arrest of a wanted fugitive in 2006 at a Manhattan office building without submitting a tactical plan before-hand;
• plaintiffs reaction to his fatal shooting of a suspect during an undercover operation, including comments he pur-portedlymade afterwards and his participation in support and counseling groups;
• a joke made during a pre-operation briefing in August 2008 that, if there were a robbery attempt, other agents would hear a gunshot;
• acting “hyper” in front of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Reid when discussing a potential undercover operation, and arguing with Group Supervisor Immesberger upon his arrival at the staging area for the operation;
• plaintiffs failure to obtain an arrest warrant following an undercover operation;
• plaintiffs alleged making suicidal comments; and
[241]*241• reports of plaintiffs hand shaking uncontrollably.

Plaintiff disputes only the details of each of these incidents. He argues that the context in which they occurred show that he did nothing wrong or, at worst, acted inappropriately at times and later apologized appropriately for his behavior.

On September 4, 2008, Reid met with plaintiff and told him that based on his concern over safety issues, he wanted plaintiff to surrender his firearm. 56.1 Response at ¶¶ 137, 140. Plaintiff was informed that he was being temporarily reassigned to ATF’s Tactical Operations Office where he would not participate in law enforcement operations in the field. Id, at ¶ 141. He kept his status as Special Agent, salary, overtime rate, and’government-owned vehicle privileges. Id, at ¶ 142.

Between December 2008 and March 2009, plaintiff underwent a Fitness-for-Duty evaluation (“FFD”). Id. at ¶ 145. The FFD consisted of (i) an independent medical examination performed on December 3, 2008, by Robert Boeseh/ M.D.; (ii) an independent psychological evaluation conducted on February 25, 2009, by Marc Jano-son, Ph.D.; (iii) a report dated March 9, 2009, interpreting the psychological findings of Dr. Janoson by Dr. Janoson and Neil S. Hibler, Ph.D.; (iv) an independent psychiatric evaluation conducted on March 11, 2009, by Samoon Ahmad, M.D.; (v) a discussion of the case with Drs. Hibler and Ahmad by telephone on April 16, 2009; and (vi) a review of documentation provided by ATF and the medical reports and records by Haviva Goldhagen, M.D. Id. at ¶ 146.

■ Dr. Boesch’s examination reflected normal results with “[n]o history of neurologic or psychiatric symptoms.” Id. at ¶ 147. Dr. Ahmad’s evaluation concluded that plaintiffs “behavior and actions ... are a function of his personality and style ... [TJhough these traits do not rise to the

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191 F. Supp. 3d 237, 2016 WL 3220986, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bruzzese-v-lynch-nyed-2016.