Comer v. Interstate United Corp.

118 F.R.D. 79, 9 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 816, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10932, 48 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 38,440, 1987 WL 3637
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedNovember 23, 1987
DocketNo. 86 C 8966
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 118 F.R.D. 79 (Comer v. Interstate United Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Comer v. Interstate United Corp., 118 F.R.D. 79, 9 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 816, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10932, 48 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 38,440, 1987 WL 3637 (N.D. Ill. 1987).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

ALESIA, District Judge.

Facts

On November 18, 1986, James Comer (“Comer”) filed a pro se complaint alleging a cause of action for employment discrimination. In his complaint, Comer asserted that he had complied with all Title VII jurisdictional prerequisites. See Complaint, 1f 1. However, the face of his complaint belied this assertion. Specifically, Comer alleged that on April 15, 1985 he received a right to sue letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) and filed his suit within 90 days thereof. See Complaint, ¶ 2. November 18, 1986, the day Comer filed his complaint, is well without the Title VII 90-day filing requirement. 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e-5(f)(l). Although the Court could [81]*81have dismissed the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, it did not. Instead, when Comer failed to appear at a status hearing, the Court dismissed the case for want of prosecution. See Order of January 23, 1987.

On April 2,1987, Comer filed a motion to vacate the dismissal and to file an amended complaint. Comer’s first attorney, Willis E. Brown (“Brown”), also requested leave to file an appearance. On April 7, 1987, the Court granted the motions and ordered Comer and his attorney to file the amended complaint by April 21,1987. Comer did not comply with this order; however, his noncompliance did not prevent him from attempting to serve a summons and first amended complaint upon the defendant, Interstate United Corporation (“Interstate United”).

While attempting to serve Interstate United, Comer and his attorney ran afoul of several procedural rules. Because they had not filed the first amended complaint with the Court, no summons was issued. Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(a). Because Comer and his attorney did attempt to serve Interstate United without filing the first amended complaint with the Court, this Court must conclude that the first amended complaint was served with the summons issued with the original complaint. The summons issued with the original complaint was invalid because the original summons and complaint were not served upon Interstate United within 120 days as required by rule 4(j). Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(j). Furthermore, Comer and his attorney attempted to serve Interstate United by mail in accordance with rule 4(c)(2)(C)(ii). Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(c)(2)(C)(ii). However, Comer and his attorney did not send any notice and acknowledgement form as required by the rule. See O’Callaghan Affidavit, ¶ 3. Despite these transgressions, on June 19, 1987, the Court allowed Comer to file a first amended complaint instanter and granted him leave to file a second amended complaint to correct typographical errors. See Order of June 19, 1987; Plaintiff’s Motion to File a Second Amended Complaint, ¶¶ 2-4. The second amended complaint alleged that Comer had received his right to sue letter on August 15, 1986 rather than April 15, 1985 as was alleged both in the original and first amended complaints.1

On June 25,1987, this case was transferred from the calendar of Judge Aspen to the calendar of this Court. On July 7, 1987, this Court ordered counsel to prepare and file a written, joint status report on or before July 20, 1987 and to appear for an initial status hearing on July 29, 1987. Plaintiff’s counsel did not file the status report until July 29, 1987. At that time, Comer’s attorney represented to this Court that Comer had terminated his services. On August 11, 1987, Brown filed a motion to withdraw and for substitution of counsel; however, neither Brown nor Daniel H. Smith, Comer’s substituted counsel, appeared. Consequently, this case was dismissed for a second time by Judge Holder-man, who was hearing this Court’s motions on that date. However, Judge Holderman granted the plaintiff leave to reinstate on or before August 19, 1987 on the condition that he file a response to Interstate United’s motion to dismiss. See Order of August 12, 1987. Plaintiff’s attorney did not comply with that order.

On August 26, 1987, Daniel H. Smith, Comer’s substituted counsel, filed his appearance on behalf of the plaintiff, a motion to vacate the dismissal of the second amended complaint and to file plaintiff’s response to defendant’s motion to dismiss. This Court granted these motions and ordered plaintiff to file a memorandum in support of plaintiff’s response to defendant’s motion to dismiss by September 23, 1987. See Order of August 26, 1987. In addition, Comer’s counsel presented a motion to amend the second amended complaint so that the complaint would contain an allegation that Comer had received his right to sue letter from the EEOC on August 23, 1986 rather than August 15, 1986. [82]*82This Court granted plaintiffs motion to amend.

This change in date is very significant to Comer’s case. If the August 15, 1986 date were to remain as an allegation in the complaint, Comer’s complaint, on its face, would demonstrate that this Court lacked jurisdiction to hear this action because plaintiff would not have complied with the jurisdictional prerequisite of filing this action within 90 days of receipt of the right to sue letter. However, by inserting the August 23, 1986 date in the jurisdictional allegation, plaintiff facially complies with the Title VII jurisdictional prerequisites.

On September 3, 1987, Interstate United filed a motion to vacate this Court’s orders of August 26, 1987, to deny plaintiff's motions presented that day and for sanctions pursuant to rule 11. Fed.R.Civ.P. 11. In support, Interstate United informed this Court that it had not received notice of the motions.2 Interstate United argued that the lack of notice deprived it of the opportunity to object to the motions. This Court denied Interstate United’s motion to vacate and took the motion for sanctions under advisement. We ordered the plaintiff to file his memorandum of law in opposition to Interstate United’s motion to dismiss by September 23, 1987 in accordance with this Court’s previous order. Again, plaintiff did not comply with this Court’s order.3 Accordingly, we decide the motion to dismiss without the benefit of any memorandum of law from plaintiff.

DISCUSSION

I. COUNT I

In count I of his second amended complaint, Comer alleges that Interstate United discriminated against him in violation of Title VII. 42 U.S.C. § 2000e. Comer, who is black, alleges that Interstate United failed to promote him, failed to give him severance pay and failed to pay him an incentive bonus although similarly-situated white employees were promoted, given severance pay and paid incentive bonuses. Although Interstate United disputes these allegations, it has filed its motion to dismiss because it asserts that this Court does not have jurisdiction to hear this case.

In support of its motion to dismiss, Interstate United directs this Court’s attention to the numerous amendments plaintiff has made to his complaint.

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Bluebook (online)
118 F.R.D. 79, 9 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 816, 1987 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10932, 48 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 38,440, 1987 WL 3637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/comer-v-interstate-united-corp-ilnd-1987.