Burrell v. Crown Central Petroleum, Inc.

197 F.R.D. 284, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1042, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17381, 80 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 40,653, 2000 WL 1740956
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 21, 2000
DocketNo. 1:97-CV-357
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 197 F.R.D. 284 (Burrell v. Crown Central Petroleum, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burrell v. Crown Central Petroleum, Inc., 197 F.R.D. 284, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1042, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17381, 80 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 40,653, 2000 WL 1740956 (E.D. Tex. 2000).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION

SCHELL, District Judge.

Before the court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification, filed on April 12, 1999. Defendant filed its Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification on June 24, 1999, and Plaintiffs’ Reply in Support of Their Motion for Class Certification was filed on July 13, 1999. The court, having considered the motion, opposition and reply to the same, is of the opinion that Plaintiffs’ Motion should be DENIED.

I. Background

On June 30,1997, eight individual plaintiffs brought suit against Crown Central Petroleum, Inc. (“Crown”) on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated employees, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief as well as compensatory and punitive damages. Through their complaint, Plaintiffs assert that Crown unlawfully discriminated against them on the basis of their race and/or sex in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5, et seq. (“Title VII”) and the Civil Rights Act of 1871, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 1981 (“Section 1981”). Specifically, Plaintiffs contend that Crown “cultivated an environment that is openly hostile to African-American and female employees.” [Complaint at 1-2] Plaintiffs [286]*286claim that, among other things, Crown’s supervisors often used racial epithets when referring to African-American employees and that supervisors “routinely create, distribute, and post handbills in the workplace” that are offensive and demeaning to African-American and female employees.1 [Id. at 2] To redress Crown’s alleged “pattern and practice” of discrimination, Plaintiffs seek declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief, including compensatory and punitive damages. [Id. at 33] In addition, Plaintiffs have requested a jury trial.

II. The Instant Motion

On April 12, 1999, Plaintiffs filed this Motion for Class Certification. Plaintiffs seek to certify a class of “All African-American and/or female persons employed at any Crown Central Petroleum facility in Texas at any time from June 30, 1995 to present, who have been or continue to be subjected to a hostile work environment based on race and/or sex.” [Pis.’ Mot. for Class Certification at 1]2 In support of their Motion, Plaintiffs argue that this putative class should be certified as it meets all of the requirements of Rules 23(a) and (b)(2) and (b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. [See Pis.’ Mem. of P. & A. in Supp. of Their Mot. for Class Certification] Crown, on the other hand, opposes class certification, arguing that Plaintiffs cannot satisfy the requirements of Rule 23(a) or (b) because proof of liability and damages in a hostile work environment ease necessarily requires individualized proof of harm and, thus, certification under (b)(2) or (b)(3) would be inappropriate. [See Defs Br. in Opp’n to Pis.’ Mot. for Class Certification at 78-98] To support its argument, Crown relies on the Fifth Circuit’s recent decision in Allison v. Citgo Petroleum Corp., 151 F.3d 402 (5th Cir.1998) wherein the Court affirmed a district court’s denial of class certification based on facts and circumstances similar to the instant case. Because the court finds Allison to be dispositive of Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification, the Motion will be denied.

III. Legal Standard

It should be noted that a district court has broad discretion in deciding whether to certify a class action. See Allison v. Citgo Petroleum Corp., 151 F.3d at 408. “Implicit in this deferential standard is a recognition of the essentially factual basis of the certification inquiry and of the district court’s inherent power to manage and control pending litigation.” Id. Even so, the court must vigorously analyze the requirements of Rule 23 before certifying a class. See Castano v. American Tobacco Co., 84 F.3d 734, 740 (5th Cir.1996) (citing General Tel. Co. of Southwest v. Falcon, 457 U.S. 147, 161, 102 S.Ct. 2364, 72 L.Ed.2d 740 (1982)). In other words, although the district court has broad discretion in deciding whether to certify a class, that discretion must be exercised within the framework of Rule 23. See id. (citing Gulf Oil Co. v. Bernard, 452 U.S. 89,100,101 S.Ct. 2193, 68 L.Ed.2d 693 (1981)). To make the certification decision, the court must consider the substantive law that will govern the outcome of the trial. See Alabama v. Blue Bird Body Co., Inc., 573 F.2d 309, 316 (5th Cir.1978). While the court will not consider the merits of the Plaintiffs’ claims at the certification stage, see Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 177-78, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974), the court may look past the pleadings to the record and any other completed discovery to make the certification decision. See Falcon, 457 U.S. at 160,102 S.Ct. 2364; Castano, 84 F.3d at 744. It should be noted that the party seeking certification bears the burden of proof. See Horton v. Goose Creek Ind. Sch. Dist., 690 F.2d 470, 486 (5th Cir.1982). With these [287]*287principles in mind, the court turns to consider the merits of Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification.

IV. Discussion

A class action may be maintained as such only if it satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 23(a) and at least one of the alternative requirements of Rule 23(b). See Allison, 151 F.3d at 411. Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides, in part:

(a) Prerequisites to a Class Action. One or more members of a class may sue or be sued as representative parties on behalf of all only if (1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class, (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.
(b) Class Action Maintainable. An action may be maintained as a class action if the prerequisites of subdivision (a) are satisfied, and in addition:
* * ❖ * * *

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197 F.R.D. 284, 48 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1042, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17381, 80 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 40,653, 2000 WL 1740956, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burrell-v-crown-central-petroleum-inc-txed-2000.