Cap v. Lehigh University

433 F. Supp. 1275, 19 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1113, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15590
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 3, 1977
DocketCiv. A. 76-1846
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 433 F. Supp. 1275 (Cap v. Lehigh University) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cap v. Lehigh University, 433 F. Supp. 1275, 19 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1113, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15590 (E.D. Pa. 1977).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BRODERICK, District Judge.

Presently before the Court is defendant’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s complaint. In its motion the defendant contends that (1) the claim of plaintiff under Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. must be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because the plaintiff has failed to comply with the procedural prerequisites required by the Act for filing such a complaint; (2) the plaintiff has failed to state a cause of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 because there is no “state action”; (3) this Court does not have jurisdiction with respect to plaintiff’s claim under Executive Order 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375 because these Orders do not create a private right of action; (4) plaintiff has alleged a conspiracy under 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3) but has failed to state a cause of action under that statute because (a) an institution cannot conspire with itself; (b) there is no “state action”; (c) the claim is barred by the Statute of Limitations; (5) plaintiff’s claim under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 P.S. § 951 et seq. is barred because (a) plaintiff has no standing to sue under that act; (b) the claim is barred by the Statute of Limitations; (c) the Court should not take pendent jurisdiction over this claim; (6) plaintiff’s claim under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d) is barred by the Statute of Limitations; (7) plaintiff’s claim under the Pennsylvania Equal Pay Act, 43 P.S. § 336.1 et seq. is barred by the Statute of Limitations, and the Court should not take pendent jurisdiction over this claim; (8) plaintiff’s state law tort claim is barred by the Statute of Limitations and the Court should not take pendent jurisdiction over this claim. Plaintiff opposes defendant’s motion.

Title VII

The defendant has moved to dismiss the Title VII claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Proce *1278 dure on the ground that the plaintiff has failed to. file a timely claim of sex discrimination with the EEOC, thereby depriving the Court of subject matter jurisdiction. Defendant’s 12(b)(1) challenge to subject matter jurisdiction appears to present an attack on the existence of subject matter in fact, rather than an attack on the allegations of subject matter in the complaint. See Mortensen v. First Federal Savings & Loan Association, 549 F.2d 884, 891-92 (3d Cir. 1977). In response to defendant’s motion, plaintiff filed a memorandum of law and the deposition of Howard Gurmankin, an equal opportunity employment specialist with the EEOC. Defendant in its supplementary memorandum in support of its motion does not contest any of the factual allegations based upon this deposition, but argues that even when all the facts alleged by plaintiff are considered (including the facts contained in the deposition), they are insufficient to establish plaintiff’s compliance with the jurisdictional prerequisites of Title VII. In a motion which challenges the substance of jurisdictional allegations, either side may introduce extra-pleading material. Wright & Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure, § 1350 at 549-550. For the purposes of this motion, we will accept as true all the facts alleged by plaintiff in her complaint and the deposition of Howard Gurmankin.

There are two jurisdictional prerequisites to the maintenance of an action in the district court pursuant to the provisions of Title VII. The first is the timely filing of charges of employment discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e). The second is receipt of a right to sue letter from the EEOC and the institution of suit within the time period mandated by 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(l). Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co., 415 U.S. 36, 94 S.Ct. 1011, 39 L.Ed.2d 147 (1974); Wetzel v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, 511 F.2d 199 (3d Cir. 1975); rev’d on other grounds 424 U.S. 737, 96 S.Ct. 1202, 47 L.Ed.2d 435 (1976); Jones v. United Gas Improvement Corporation, 383 F.Supp. 420 (E.D.Pa.1974). The time limits for filing charges with the EEOC are found in Section 706(e) of Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e), which provides:

(e) A charge under this section shall be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred . . . except that in a case of an unlawful employment practice with respect to which the person aggrieved has initially instituted proceedings with a State or local agency with authority to grant or seek relief from such practice or to institute criminal proceedings with respect thereto upon receiving notice thereof, such charge shall be filed by or on behalf of the person aggrieved within three hundred days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred, or within thirty days after receiving notice that the State or local agency has terminated the proceedings under the State or local law, whichever is earlier .

The defendant contends that the plaintiff did not file a charge within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred. In her complaint, plaintiff alleges that on April 16, 1973 the EEOC assumed jurisdiction over her charges of sex discrimination and thereafter deferred the matter to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. She further alleges that after deferral to the State agency, the EEOC again assumed jurisdiction and on May 12, 1976 issued a right to sue letter. The present action was commenced on June 10, 1976.

In connection with this motion we have considered the following facts as alleged by the plaintiff in her complaint, as well as the facts in the deposition of Howard Gurmankin. In May, 1972, plaintiff received a one year terminal contract from Lehigh University which, in effect, constituted a denial of tenure. On March 5, 1973, plaintiff wrote to the EEOC stating that Lehigh University had given her a terminal contract which she believed was discriminatory against women and explaining why she believed this action in denying her tenure constituted sex discrimination. The EEOC respond *1279

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Bluebook (online)
433 F. Supp. 1275, 19 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1113, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cap-v-lehigh-university-paed-1977.