Cleverly v. Western Electric Co.

69 F.R.D. 348, 22 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 721, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15984, 11 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,895, 13 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1443
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedSeptember 26, 1975
DocketCiv. A. No. 74CV566-W-3
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 69 F.R.D. 348 (Cleverly v. Western Electric Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cleverly v. Western Electric Co., 69 F.R.D. 348, 22 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 721, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15984, 11 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,895, 13 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1443 (W.D. Mo. 1975).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING IN PART AND GRANTING IN PART DEFENDANT’S “MOTION TO STRIKE DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL”

WILLIAM H. BECKER, Chief Judge.

This is an action by a former employee of defendant brought under the [349]*349Age Discrimination In Employment Act of 1967, Sections 621 et seq., Title 29, United States Code (hereinafter referred to as “ADEA”). Plaintiff seeks reinstatement, back pay, liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees and costs on the basis of his claim that he was discharged in violation of the ADEA. Plaintiff made a timely demand for a jury trial on all issues under Rule 38 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Defendant has now moved to strike the demand for a jury trial, and the action is presently before the Court on that motion.

The question of the right to a jury trial under the ADEA has been considered by only one other court. In Chilton v. National Cash Register Company, 370 F.Supp. 660 (S.D.Ohio 1974), defendant moved to strike plaintiff’s demand for a jury trial in an action under the ADEA seeking damages, lost wages and benefits, liquidated damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. Judge Rubin ruled that plaintiff had a right to a jury trial on the issues of damages, lost wages and benefits under the Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution, but held that there was no right to a jury trial on the issues of liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees and costs. For the reasons stated herein, the same conclusions are reached in this action except with respect to the issue of liquidated damages.

This action is brought under Section 7(b) of the ADEA, Section 626(b), Title 29, United States Code (hereinafter “Section 626(b)”), which authorizes employees to bring a civil action against an employer who has discriminated against employees between the ages of 40 and 65 on the basis of age. Section 626(b) adopts the “powers, remedies, and procedures” provided in the enforcement provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (hereinafter “FLSA”), Sections 211(b), 216 and 217, Title 29, United States Code.1 However, nothing in the ADEA or its legislative history sheds any light on whether Congress intended for ADEA employee actions to be [350]*350tried to a jury.2 Therefore, it must be concluded that if a right to jury trial exists, it exists by virtue of the command of the Seventh Amendment.

The Seventh Amendment provides that “. . . [i]n Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved . . . .” This amendment has been construed to extend the right to jury trial not merely to the common law forms of action recognized in 1791, the date of its adoption, but to all actions in which "legal” as distinguished from “equitable” rights are to be ascertained. Curtis v. Loether, 415 U.S. 189, 94 S.Ct. 1005, 39 L.Ed.2d 260 (1974); Ross v. Bernhard, 396 U.S. 531, 90 S.Ct. 733, 24 L.Ed.2d 729 (1970); Pairsons v. Bedford, 3 Pet. 433, 7 L.Ed. 732 (1830). The United States Supreme Court has counseled that “[t]he Seventh Amendment question depends on the nature of the issue to be tried rather than on the character of the overall action.” Ross v. Bernhard, supra, 396 U.S. at 538, 90 S.Ct. at 738, 24 L.Ed.2d at 736. And, it is settled that the joinder of legal with equitable claims will not defeat the right to jury trial on the legal issues. Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U.S. 500, 79 S.Ct. 948, 3 L.Ed.2d 988 (1959); Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, 369 U.S. 469, 82 S.Ct. 894, 8 L.Ed.2d 44 (1962). Finally, the Supreme Court has indicated that all doubts should be resolved in favor of jury trials in light of the strong federal policy favoring jury trials. Ross v. Bernhard, supra; Simler v. Conner, 372 U.S. 221, 83 S.Ct. 609, 9 L.Ed.2d 691 (1963).

Whether the Seventh Amendment accords plaintiff a right to jury trial thus ultimately depends on whether the issues to be tried can be characterized as “legal” or “equitable.” The Supreme Court, in Ross v. Bernhard, supra, endorsed a three-pronged test to determine whether an action can be characterized as “legal” or “equitable”:

“. . . the ‘legal’ nature of an issue is determined by considering, first, the pre-merger custom with reference to such question; second, the remedy sought; and, third, the practical abilities and limitations of juries.” (396 U.S. at 538, n. [10], 90 S.Ct. at 738, 24 L.Ed.2d at 736.

Because the right to jury trial depends on the issues in controversy rather than on the character of the overall action as noted above, the conclusions reached with respect to the different claims for relief made may differ. Therefore, each claim will be considered independently.

I. Reinstatement.

Plaintiff’s first claim is that he is entitled to reinstatement in his old job or its equivalent because his discharge allegedly violated the ADEA. Reinstatement is clearly an equitable remedy. Harkless v. Sweeny Independent School District, 427 F.2d 319 (5th Cir. 1970); Chilton v. National Cash Register Company, supra. Therefore, the issue of reinstatement is not triable to a jury under the Seventh Amendment.

II. Back Pay.

Plaintiff’s second claim is for an award of back pay in an amount equal to either his previous wages or the minimum wages and overtime compensation due since the date of his discharge. Under the first prong of the Ross v. Bern-hard test, a common law analogue to this and similar actions has been found in the common law action for breach of contract by wrongful discharge. Chilton v. National Cash Register Company, supra; Ochoa v. American Oil Company, 338 F.Supp. 914 (S.D.Tex.1972). See also; St. Clair v. Local U. No. 515 of Int. Bro. of Teamsters, Inc., 422 F.2d 128 (6th Cir. 1969).3 Alternatively, the [351]*351action may be viewed as an action sounding in tort with the ADEA merely creating a new legal duty on the part of the employer. Cf.: Hablas v. Armour and Company, 270 F.2d 71 (8th Cir. 1959). Defendant has cited several cases under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sections 2000e et seq., Title 42, United States Code, in which awards of back pay have been analogized to the equitable remedy of restitution considered to be an integral part of the equitable remedy of reinstatement.4 See: Curtis v. Loether, supra, 415 U.S. at 197, 94 S.Ct. 1005, 39 L.Ed.2d at 268; Rogers v. Loether,

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69 F.R.D. 348, 22 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 721, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15984, 11 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 10,895, 13 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1443, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cleverly-v-western-electric-co-mowd-1975.