Comstock v. Consumers Markets, Inc.

953 F. Supp. 1096, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22286, 1996 WL 779720
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedNovember 14, 1996
DocketNo. 95-4392-CV-C-5
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 953 F. Supp. 1096 (Comstock v. Consumers Markets, Inc.) 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
Comstock v. Consumers Markets, Inc., 953 F. Supp. 1096, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22286, 1996 WL 779720 (W.D. Mo. 1996).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT

LAUGHREY, District Judge.

Pending before the Court is Defendants’ Motion for Complete Summary Judgment, together with suggestions in support, filed on September 17, 1996. Plaintiff filed suggestions in opposition on October 24, 1996, to which Defendants filed reply suggestions on October 30, 1996.1 After due consideration of the above, and for the reasons set forth below, Defendants’ Motion is granted.

I. Summary Judgment Standard

A moving party is entitled to summary judgment “if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). A defendant who moves for summary judgment bears the burden of showing that there is no genuine issue of material fact for trial. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2514, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). When considering a motion for summary judgment, a court must scrutinize the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party and the nonmoving party “must be given the benefit of all reasonable inferences.” Mirax Chem. Prod. Corp. v. First Interstate Commercial Corp., 950 F.2d 566, 569 (8th Cir.1991) (citation omitted). The main purpose of a motion for summary judgment, however, is to identify factually unsupported claims. If a plaintiff has the burden of proof at trial on a claim and the defendant has filed a motion for summary judgment, the plaintiff must identify admissible evidence sufficient to make a submissible case at trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323-324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the plaintiff cannot identify such facts, the defendant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Lujan v. Nat’l Wildlife Fed’n, 497 U.S. 871, 884, 110 S.Ct. 3177, 3186-3187, 111 L.Ed.2d 695 (1990) (quoting Celotex, supra, 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. at 2552).

To establish a genuine issue of fact sufficient to warrant trial, the nonmoving party “must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. [1099]*1099v. Zenith Radio Corp., 175 U.S. 571, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Instead, the nonmoving party bears the burden of setting forth specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Anderson, supra, 177 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. at 2510 (quoting First Nat’l Bank of Ariz. v. Cities Serv. Co., 391 U.S. 253, 88 S.Ct. 1575, 20 L.Ed.2d 569 (1968)).

Because employment discrimination cases are rarely accompanied by direct evidence, summary judgments should be used “only in those rare instances where there is no dispute of fact and where there exists only one conclusion.” Johnson v. Minn. Historical Soc’y, 931 F.2d 1239, 1244 (8th Cir.1991) (citing Hillebrand v. M-Tron Indus., Inc., 827 F.2d 363, 364 (8th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 1004, 109 S.Ct. 782, 102 L.Ed.2d 774 (1989)).

With these principles in mind, the Court turns to an examination of the facts.

II. Factual Background

Pursuant to Local Rule 13(G), Defendants Suggestions in Support begin with separately numbered paragraphs of concise statements of uneontroverted facts. Each fact is supported by reference to a specific part of the record where the fact is established. Rule 13(G) requires Plaintiff to specifically list the facts she contends are in dispute, and to “refer specifically to those portions of the record upon which [she] relies.” Although Plaintiffs Opposition references or cites most of the paragraphs set forth by Defendants, Plaintiffs responses to those paragraphs are merely eonclusory assertions of ultimate facts and/or argument. Additionally, not one of Plaintiff’s responses are supported by record citation, affidavit or otherwise. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 13(G)(1), those facts which are uncontroverted, are deemed admitted for the purpose of this Order, and together with those uncontroverted facts set forth in Plaintiff’s Suggestions in Opposition, form the basis for the Court’s understanding of the factual background of this case.

Beginning in 1985, Plaintiff Mary Com-stock, worked as a Meat Wrapper at Consumers Market in Osage Beach Missouri. On April 30, 1994, -Ms. Comstock was placed on indefinite suspension and on May 5, 1994, she was discharged from her employment. Plaintiff’s lawsuit is brought against her former employer, Defendant Consumers and her former supervisor, Danny Pollock. Plaintiffs Amended Complaint contains two counts: Count I — Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, and Count II — Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.2 Under Count I, Plaintiff alleges discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation. More specifically, Plaintiff alleges a discriminatory failure to promote claim in that men were promoted to Journeyman Meat Cutter, but Plaintiff was not. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 18). Plaintiff also generally alleges that Defendant Pollock used abusive language towards her, harassed her and intimidated her, (Amended Complaint at ¶ 8). Plaintiff further alleges that she was discharged in retaliation for her opposition to unlawful employment practices. (Amended Complaint at ¶ 24).

The Missouri Commission on Human Rights filed Plaintiff’s Charge of Discrimination on February 27,1995. Such Charge was dually filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). The Missouri Commission dismissed Plaintiffs Charge on the basis that it was untimely filed.

III. Count I — Title VII

A. Sex Discrimination Claim

There is no direct evidence of discrimination alleged in this case. The analysis for Title VII claims based upon indirect evidence follows the familiar three-step process set forth in McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 93 S.Ct. 1817, 36 L.Ed.2d 668 (1973). Plaintiff first must be able to prove a prima facie case of discrimination. Texas Dept. of Community Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 252-253, 101 S.Ct. 1089, 1093-1094, 67 L.Ed.2d 207 (1981). If done, this creates a rebuttable presumption of discrimination which shifts to the defendant the burden of producing evidence that its acts were the result of legitimate, nondiscriminatory rea[1100]*1100sons. Id. at 253, 101 S.Ct. at 1093-1094. See also Gray v. University of Arkansas at Fayetteville,

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953 F. Supp. 1096, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22286, 1996 WL 779720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/comstock-v-consumers-markets-inc-mowd-1996.