Chris Keen v. Municipality of Anchorage

CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedMarch 30, 2026
Docket3:25-cv-00162
StatusUnknown

This text of Chris Keen v. Municipality of Anchorage (Chris Keen v. Municipality of Anchorage) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chris Keen v. Municipality of Anchorage, (D. Alaska 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA

CHRIS KEEN,

Plaintiff, v.

MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE, Case No. 3:25-cv-00162-SLG

Defendant.

ORDER ON CONVERTED MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Before the Court at Docket 8 is Defendant Municipality of Anchorage (“MOA”)’s Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiff Chris Keen (“Plaintiff”) filed a response in opposition and an alternative cross-motion for leave to amend the Complaint at Docket 23. The MOA filed a reply at Docket 26. The Court heard oral argument on March 11, 2026.1 The parties have agreed and the Court has ordered the conversion of Defendant’s motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment.2 At Docket 31, Plaintiff requested leave to supplement the record. Defendant opposed the motion at Docket 32. No reply was filed by Plaintiff. This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and § 1441.3

1 Docket 30. 2 See Docket 23, 26. See also Docket 30, Minute Entry on March 11, 2026. 3 Docket 6 at 13. BACKGROUND On July 17, 2025, Plaintiff initiated this action in the Superior Court for the

State of Alaska alleging that he was not promoted at the Anchorage Fire Department (“AFD”) due to alleged discrimination and retaliation based on his military service.4 The MOA removed the case to this Court on July 29, 2025.5 The facts, viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiff for purposes of Defendant’s summary judgment motion, are as follows: Plaintiff was an employee of the MOA as a firefighter/EMT with the AFD.6

During his employment with the AFD, Plaintiff was also a member of a United States Air Force’s Special Warfare Operations.7 As part of his military service, Plaintiff was required to take leave from his employment with AFD.8 Plaintiff alleges that he sought promotions within the AFD, but his military service conflicted with certain opportunities for promotion and “was a motivating and/or contributing

factor” when he was not promoted.9 Plaintiff’s Complaint seeks relief under (1) the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) applicable to Plaintiff’s employment at AFD, (2) the Alaska

4 Docket 1-1 (Complaint) ¶¶ 8–16. 5 Docket 1 at 1. 6 Docket 1-1 ¶ 5. 7 Docket 1-1 ¶ 6; Docket 23-1 (Affidavit of Chris Keen) ¶ 2. 8 Docket 1-1 ¶ 7. 9 Docket 1-1 ¶16. Whistleblower Act, AS 39.90.100 et seq., and (3) the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 38 U.S.C. § 4301 et seq. (“USERRA”).10

LEGAL STANDARD Plaintiff asserts that Defendant’s motion to dismiss should be treated as a motion for summary judgment and Defendant does not oppose this conversion.11 Because the parties agree and for the reasons set forth herein, the Court has converted the motion to dismiss to a motion for summary judgment.12 Accordingly,

the Court sets forth the standard for summary judgment here. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a) directs a court to “grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” The movant bears the burden of showing that “there is an absence of evidence to support the

nonmoving party’s case.”13 If the movant meets this burden, the non-moving party must “designate ‘specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.’”14 The non-moving party may not rely on “mere allegations or denials”; rather, to

10 Docket 1-1 ¶¶ A–G. 11 See Docket 23 at 1–2, Docket 26 at 2–4. 12 As noted above, the Court ordered conversion at oral argument on March 11, 2026. See Docket 30. 13 Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325 (1986). 14 Id. at 324 (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)); Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248- 49 (1986). reach the level of a genuine dispute, the evidence must be such “that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.”15

When considering a motion for summary judgment, a court views the facts in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draws “all justifiable inferences” in the non-moving party’s favor.16 DISCUSSION The MOA seeks the dismissal of: (1) Plaintiff’s claims under the CBA

applicable to Plaintiff’s employment with the AFD for failure to exhaust his administrative remedies through the grievance process; (2) Plaintiff’s whistleblower claims because the MOA is exempt from the Alaska Whistleblower Act; and (3) any tort or contract claims for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.17 The MOA does not seek dismissal of Plaintiff’s USERRA claims.18

I. A “Merit Principles” Claim is not before the Court When a motion to dismiss is converted to a motion for summary judgment, “[a]ll parties must be given a reasonable opportunity to present all the material that

15 Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248 (). 16 Id. at 255 (citing Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 158-59 (1970)). 17 Docket 8 at 1–2, 6. 18 Docket 8 at 2. is pertinent to the motion.”19 Here, the Court has considered those materials submitted by the parties that are relevant to the claims raised in Plaintiff’s

Complaint. Although Plaintiff attempts to also proceed on a claim based on “merit principles,” this Court previously denied Plaintiff’s leave to amend his Complaint to include this legal theory and does not consider any documents or materials related to this theory.20 II. Motion for Leave to Supplement the Record

At Docket 31, Plaintiff requests leave to supplement the record with three documents, Dockets 31-2, 31-3, and 31-4. The MOA opposes Plaintiff’s proposed submissions as duplicative and untimely.21 Because the Court did not convert the motion to dismiss until oral argument on March 11, 2026, the Court will consider the documents appended to Plaintiff’s motion to supplement at Docket 31.22 However, the Court notes that the November 9, 2021 letter at Docket 31-2 was

previously lodged by the MOA at Docket 19-2. The Court also notes that the undated and unsigned application at Docket 31-3 appears to be the Department of Labor (“DOL”) USERRA complaint that Plaintiff references in his filing at Docket

19 See Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(d). 20 See Docket 21 at 2–3. 21 Docket 32. 22 See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e), Local Civil Rule 7.1(d); see also e.g., Betz v. Trainer Wortham & Co., Inc., 610 F.3d 1169, 1171 (9th Cir. 2010) (“[T]he district court could choose in its discretion to permit the parties to file supplemental affidavits on any fact issues that are relevant . . . .”); Bell v. City of Los Angeles, 835 F.Supp.2d 836, 848 (C.D. Cal. 2011). 23-1, ¶ 8. The third supplement at Docket 31-4 is the DOL’s notification to the MOA of Plaintiff’s DOL Complaint dated December 21, 2021.

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Chris Keen v. Municipality of Anchorage, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chris-keen-v-municipality-of-anchorage-akd-2026.