Copeland v. Mead Corp.

51 F.R.D. 266
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedNovember 23, 1970
DocketCiv. A. No. 14044
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 51 F.R.D. 266 (Copeland v. Mead Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Copeland v. Mead Corp., 51 F.R.D. 266 (N.D. Ga. 1970).

Opinion

[267]*267ORDER ON MOTIONS OF DEFENDANT

MOYE, District Judge.

. The complaint characterizes itself as being “primarily a suit in equity authorized and instituted pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 United States Code, Section 2000e, et seq.” The complaint also invokes the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and 42 United States Code, Section 1981 (the 1866 Civil Rights Act) in support of the relief it seeks.

Plaintiff alleges she is “a Black adult female, residing in the State of Georgia, City of Atlanta”, claims that she “brings this action on her behalf and on behalf of all others similarly situated, pursuant to Rule 23(a) and (b), (1), (2), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure” and seeks injunctive relief on behalf of plaintiff “and the class she represents” prohibiting defendant from continuing or maintaining any policy, practice, custom and usage of denying, abridging, withholding, conditioning, limiting, or otherwise interfering with the right of plaintiff to equal employment opportunities on the basis of race or color, similar relief prohibiting defendant from depriving or withholding from plaintiff and her class opportunities for employment, for promotion and advancement and for on-the-job training and monetary relief based upon what plaintiff and the class allegedly would have earned except for defendant’s allegedly discriminatory practices. Plaintiff also seeks a declaratory judgment that defendant’s alleged practices violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and seeks costs and attorney’s fees.

With regard to her own, individual situation, plaintiff alleges she was employed by defendant as a production worker at Plant No. 1, sought transfer to office employment, and in the course thereof successfully completed a course in Key Punch operation “for which defendant reimbursed plaintiff seventy-five (75) percent of the tuition costs”, having been assured by defendant prior thereto that she would be promoted to a trainee position as keypunch operator upon successful completion of such course, but that defendant, nevertheless, has failed and refused to so promote plaintiff, allegedly because of her race or color. The complaint then alleges a diverse multitude of discriminatory actions by defendant based upon the race or color of its employees.

Intervenor Denson, “a Black citizen of the United States and the State of Georgia, residing in the City of Atlanta, Georgia” also was employed by defendant, and on April 28, 1969, sought promotion from his position as baler helper and baler operator at Plant No. 1 to a position as eoater control inspector, presumably at the same plant. Intervenor alleges that “a vacancy in the position of eoater control inspector had existed since February 10, 1969, although plaintiff only learned of the vacancy just prior to the time of his application” on April 28, 1969.. Denson then alleges that “On August 28, 1969 (this is probably a typographical error as the answer to the intervention shows the position was filled on April 28, 1969), defendant hired a new employee, a Royce Russell, a Caucasian, to fill the position of eoater control inspector”, and denied plaintiff’s application for promotion.

Denson further alleges his discharge from employment as a result of a series of reprimands, all of which allegedly resulted from a failure to report to work or provide satisfactory excuse for such failure notwithstanding the submission of a doctor’s statement such as allegedly would have avoided the issuance of a reprimand to a white employee.

Denson alleges his failure to receive a promotion, and his discharge, to be due to racially discriminatory practices of the defendant violating Title YII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[268]*268Both Plaintiff and Intervenor allege receipt of 30-day letters from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Defendant, The Mead Corporation, answered both the complaint and the intervention (to which it did not object) and as to both moved:

1. To dismiss insofar as the complaint and intervention purport to bring a class action for failure to state a claim as to class action upon which relief may be granted;

2. To dismiss insofar as they purport to state a claim for relief pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 1981 for failure to state a claim;

3. To dismiss insofar as they purport to seek declaratory judgment relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 2201 et seq. for failure to state a claim; and

4. To dismiss insofar as they purport to state a claim pursuant to the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States for failure to state a claim.

5. The defendant also moved to dismiss and strike portions of paragraphs VIII and IX of plaintiff Copeland’s complaint on the ground that the discriminatory practices alleged therein are not within the ambit or periphery of plaintiff’s original change of discrimination filed with the EEOC, copy of which is attached to defendant’s motion.

6. Defendant also moves to strike and physically expunge the allegations and prayers of the complaint and intervention which are subject to its herein-above-described motions to dismiss on the ground that such material is immaterial, impertinent and scandalous.

Defendant’s motions will be considered seriatim.

1. Defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint and intervention insofar as they purport to bring a class action for failure to state a claim as to class action upon which relief may be granted.

There are obvious factual differences with respect to the effect of defendant’s employment practices upon plaintiff as compared to intervenor, and, presumably as compared to others in the claimed class. Nevertheless, it appears that plaintiff (and, by incorporation, intervenor) is alleging at least a plant-wide corporate animus resulting in various forms of discrimination against its Black employees (present and former, perhaps future). While the Court has considerable uncertainty as to the scope, bounds and content of the class sought to be represented, the operative allegations here appear to be quite similar to those in Johnson v. Georgia Highway Express, Inc., 47 F.R.D. 327, in this Court, which the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has construed to constitute an “across the board” attack on unequal employment practices. Johnson v. Georgia Highway Express, Inc., 417 F.2d 1122, 1124 (5th Cir. 1969). The Court of Appeals held that individual differences in the effect of the alleged unequal employment practices do not impair the prayer for class action relief. Like Judge Lawrence in Hart v. Buckeye Industries, Inc., 46 F.R.D. 61, 62 (U.S.D.C.S.D.Ga., 1968), and Chief Judge Smith in King v. Georgia Power Company, 295 F.Supp. 943, 948 (U.S.D.C.N.D.Ga., 1968), we believe more precise formulation of the boundaries between class action and individual redress can await further evidentiary development, and defendant’s motion to dismiss is, in this regard, denied.

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Related

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408 F. Supp. 286 (E.D. North Carolina, 1976)

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Bluebook (online)
51 F.R.D. 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/copeland-v-mead-corp-gand-1970.