Closser v. P.C.C.W. Teleservices (US) Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, D. Nebraska
DecidedApril 2, 2021
Docket4:21-cv-03040
StatusUnknown

This text of Closser v. P.C.C.W. Teleservices (US) Inc. (Closser v. P.C.C.W. Teleservices (US) Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nebraska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Closser v. P.C.C.W. Teleservices (US) Inc., (D. Neb. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA

HEATHER M. CLOSSER, 4:21CV3040

Plaintiff, MEMORANDUM vs. AND ORDER

HKT TELESERVICES (US) INC., P.C.C.W. TELESERVICES (US) INC., c/o HKT Teleservices; HKT TELESERVICES INC., c/o Vincent J. Tersigni, Jackson Lewis; JEWEL THOMAS, Human Resources Manager; ANGEL SLAUGHTER, Human Resources Generalist; and DOUG GARRISON, Site Director,

Defendants.

Plaintiff filed her pro se Complaint (Filing 1) on February 23, 2021, and has been granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis. The court now conducts an initial review of the Complaint to determine whether summary dismissal is appropriate under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2).

I. SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT

Plaintiff alleges she was retaliated against by her employer’s local manager for reporting sexual harassment on the part of a supervisor against a co-worker in December 2018, and ultimately was discharged, in December 2019, by the human resources department at corporate headquarters for reporting the local manager’s harassment and retaliatory behavior beginning in July 2019. The EEOC issued a right-to-sue notice on November 25, 2020. II. APPLICABLE STANDARDS ON INITIAL REVIEW

The court is required to review in forma pauperis complaints to determine whether summary dismissal is appropriate. The court must dismiss a complaint or any portion of it that states a frivolous or malicious claim, that fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or that seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. ' 1915(e)(2)(B).

Pro se plaintiffs must set forth enough factual allegations to “nudge[ ] their claims across the line from conceivable to plausible,” or “their complaint must be dismissed.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 569-70 (2007); see also Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (“A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.”). “The essential function of a complaint under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is to give the opposing party ‘fair notice of the nature and basis or grounds for a claim, and a general indication of the type of litigation involved.’” Topchian v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 760 F.3d 843, 848 (8th Cir. 2014) (quoting Hopkins v. Saunders, 199 F.3d 968, 973 (8th Cir. 1999)).

“A pro se complaint must be liberally construed, and pro se litigants are held to a lesser pleading standard than other parties.” Topchian, 760 F.3d at 849 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). A “liberal construction” means that if the essence of an allegation is “discernible, the district court should construe the plaintiff’s complaint in a way that permits his or her claim to be considered within the proper legal framework.” Solomon v. Petray, 795 F.3d 777, 787 (8th Cir. 2015). However, even pro se complaints are required to allege facts which, if true, state a claim for relief as a matter of law. Martin v. Aubuchon, 623 F.2d 1282, 1286 (8th Cir. 1980).

III. DISCUSSION

This is an action brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (Filing 1, p. 4.) Plaintiff also lists various claims she allegedly has under Nebraska law. (Filing 1, p. 5.) A. Title VII Claim

Plaintiff’s federal claim arises under 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3(a).1 To establish a prima facie case of retaliation under this statute, Plaintiff must show “(1) she engaged in statutorily protected conduct; (2) she suffered an adverse employment action; and (3) a causal connection exists between the two.” Lopez v. Whirlpool Corp., 989 F.3d 656, 664 (8th Cir. 2021) (quoting DePriest v. Milligan, 823 F.3d 1179, 1187 (8th Cir. 2016)).

Plaintiff can satisfy the first element if she “oppos[ed] an act of discrimination made unlawful by Title VII (‘the opposition clause’), or participat[ed] in an investigation under Title VII (‘the participation clause’).” Id. (quoting Hunt v. Neb. Pub. Power Dist., 282 F.3d 1021, 1028 (8th Cir. 2002)). Plaintiff must show “an objectively reasonable belief that an actionable Title VII violation has occurred for [her] complaint to qualify as a protected activity.” Id. (quoting Gibson v. Concrete Equip. Co., Inc., 960 F.3d 1057, 1064 (8th Cir. 2020)). This reasonableness assessment is made “in light of the applicable substantive law.” Gibson, 960 F.3d at 1065 (quoting Brannum v. Mo. Dep’t of Corr., 518 F.3d 542, 548-49 (8th Cir. 2008)). Protection under Title VII “does not depend on proving the illegality of the complained-of conduct.” Auer v. City of Minot, 896 F.3d 854, 859 (8th Cir. 2018). The Eighth Circuit “generally construe[s] § 2000e-3(a) ‘broadly to cover opposition to employment actions that are not unlawful, as long as the employee acted in a good

1 “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against any of his employees … because he has opposed any practice made an unlawful employment practice by this subchapter, or because he has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this subchapter.” 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e-3(a) (Westlaw 2021). Similarly, the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act (“NFEPA”), Neb. Rev. Stat. § 48-1101 et seq., makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because he or she has “opposed any practice made an unlawful employment practice” or “made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under the act, ….” Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 48-1114(1)(a) & (b) (Westlaw 2021). “Nebraska courts look to federal decisions when construing the NFEPA because the NFEPA is patterned after Title VII.” Malone v. Eaton Corp., 187 F.3d 960, 962 n. 3 (8th Cir.1999). faith, objectively reasonable belief that the practices were unlawful.’” Equal Emp. Opportunity Comm’n v. N. Mem’l Health Care, 908 F.3d 1098, 1103 (8th Cir. 2018) (quoting Pye v. Nu Aire, Inc., 641 F.3d 1011, 1020 (8th Cir. 2011)); cf. Barker v. Mo. Dep’t of Corr., 513 F.3d 831, 835 (8th Cir. 2008) (“Conduct is not actionable under Title VII if no reasonable person could have believed the incident violated Title VII's standard.”).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc.
510 U.S. 17 (Supreme Court, 1993)
Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.
523 U.S. 75 (Supreme Court, 1998)
Swierkiewicz v. Sorema N. A.
534 U.S. 506 (Supreme Court, 2002)
Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Pye v. Nu Aire, Inc.
641 F.3d 1011 (Eighth Circuit, 2011)
Martin v. Aubuchon
623 F.2d 1282 (Eighth Circuit, 1980)
Khalik v. United Air Lines
671 F.3d 1188 (Tenth Circuit, 2012)
Michael Malone v. Eaton Corporation
187 F.3d 960 (Eighth Circuit, 1999)
Lynda Hunt v. Nebraska Public Power District
282 F.3d 1021 (Eighth Circuit, 2002)
Rodriguez-Reyes v. Molina-Rodriguez
711 F.3d 49 (First Circuit, 2013)
Janice Wright v. St. Vincent Health System
730 F.3d 732 (Eighth Circuit, 2013)
Barker v. Missouri Department of Corrections
513 F.3d 831 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)
Brannum v. Missouri Department of Corrections
518 F.3d 542 (Eighth Circuit, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Closser v. P.C.C.W. Teleservices (US) Inc., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/closser-v-pccw-teleservices-us-inc-ned-2021.