Cover v. J.C. Penney Corp.

187 F. Supp. 3d 1079, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66964, 2016 WL 2962200
CourtDistrict Court, D. Minnesota
DecidedMay 20, 2016
DocketCiv. No. 15-515 (RHK/SER)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 187 F. Supp. 3d 1079 (Cover v. J.C. Penney Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cover v. J.C. Penney Corp., 187 F. Supp. 3d 1079, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66964, 2016 WL 2962200 (mnd 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

RICHARD H. KYLE, United States District Judge

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Katherine Cover, who suffers from a physical disability, started working for Defendant J.C; Penney Corporation, Inc. (“JCP”) in 2006. Following an internal reorganization in May 2012, JCP eliminated Cover’s position and reassigned her. Four months later, she was terminated; shortly thereafter, she filed for bankruptcy. She commenced this action two years later, alleging JCP discriminated against her on account of her disability, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., and the Minnesota Human' Rights Act (“MHRA”), Minn. Stat. § 363A.01 et seq. Presently before the Court is JCP’s Motion for Summary Judgment. For the reasons that follow, its Motion will be granted.

BACKGROUND

The following facts, though largely undisputed, are recited in the light most favorable to Cover. Cover is a 42-year-old woman who suffered a brain aneurism in 1993, causing a stroke. (Cover Dep. 7-8.)1 Her entire right side was initially para[1083]*1083lyzed, but over time she regained some strength in her right arm and leg. (Id. 13-15.) Currently, she walks with a limp, does not have full function of her right hand, and is limited in how high and for how long she can raise her right arm. (Id.)

In April 2006, Cover began working for JCP in Woodbury, Minnesota, as a Customer Service Associate (“CSA”) at the catalog desk.2 (Id. 18, 27; PI. Ex. 11.) This position required her to retrieve already-packaged merchandise from a back room (approximately 10 feet away) for customers who had placed orders from a catalog (and later, online) but chose to pick up their items in store. (Cover Dep. 27, 32, 35; see also JCP Ex. 19 at 1.) She would then ring up their purchases on a cash register. (Cover Dep. 32.) Cover occasionally had to stock items on shelves and fold towels but was not required to participate in “zoning.”3 (Id. 30-32.) Cover was regained as a “good employee” who performed the requirements of her position satisfactorily, and had no performance issues. (Brooks Dep. 26, 34.)

Cover’s position is eliminated

In May 2012, JCP reorganized its stores by restructuring some positions and eliminating others (Brooks Dep. 27-28; JCP Ex. 19 at 1); Cover’s position and all other catalog department jobs were eliminated company-wide (Cover Dep. 28; Kalkhoff Decl. ¶2). The Woodbury store manager, Mark Brooks, offered to reassign Cover to a new position as a Support Specialist (“SS”); she accepted, (Brooks Dep, 24, 28, 30-33, 37; see also JCP Ex. 3.)' All of Cover’s coworkers whose catalog positions had been eliminated were likewise offered SS positions. (Kalkhoff Decl. ¶ 2; Kalkhoff Dep. 14-15.) The responsibilities of a SS include:

walk the floor and stock .room areas and/or works appropriate reports to identify replenishment opportunities; brings out merchandise to fill the floor []; ensure products are displayed to core standards ... delivers and unloads the trucks; prepares the merchandise and places merchandise on fixtures or to back stock ... delivers pricing and signing activities by ticketing for clearance and other price changes ... retrieves merchandise from stock room and delivers items to customers for checkout ... moves/stages/sizes fixtures, place graphics and assists with assembling/installing additional visual elements. '

(Kalkhoff Deck ¶ 3, Ex. A; PI. Ex. 10.)

In her new position, Cover struggled. (See JCP Ex. 19 at 2.) She had to walk more frequently and farther to retrieve online orders for customers: from the front of the store to the same back room where she used to work,4 (Kalkhoff Dep. 12, 19-20; Cover Dep. 34-36; see also JCP Ex. 19 at 2.) -It was also difficult for her to carry the larger items to the front of the store. (Cover Dep. 47, 71.) She also had to per[1084]*1084form zoning duties, which was difficult to do with only one functional arm. (Cover Dep. 33, 69-70; JCP Ex. 19 at 2.)

Due to these problems, Cover’s supervisor, Alicia Kalkhoff, unofficially moved Cover to a CSA position. (Kalkhoff Dep. 9, 16; Kalkhoff Decl. ¶¶ 3-6.) The job duties of a CSA include greeting customers; walking around departments assisting customers in selecting clothes; carrying clothing to and from the dressing rooms; hanging up clothes, folding them, and returning them to their proper place; ringing up and bagging the purchases-, cleaning the dressing rooms; and zoning. (Kalkhoff Decl. ¶¶ 5-6; Kalkhoff Dep. 15-16.)

While it is unclear when she moved into the CSA position, the record reveals Cover performed cashiering duties exclusively for just one day—July 22, 2012.5 (Cover Dep. 37, 41; JCP Ex. 22; see also Compl. ¶ 10.) Yet, Cover acknowledges this task, too, was a challenge; she had difficulty placing merchandise in bags with only one functional hand and either required another employee to assist her or the customers’ assistance to bag their own merchandise. (Cover Dep. 41-42.)

Cover requests an accommodation

The following day, July 23, 2012, Cover requested an accommodation by leaving a doctor’s note, dated June 11, 2012, on Brooks’s desk. (PI. Ex. 5; JCP Ex. 19 at 2; PI. Ex. 6 at 51; Brooks Dep. 36-37, 64.) The note was the product of a visit Cover had a month prior with her neurologist, Dr. Charles Horowitz. (See Cover Dep. 39-41.) It stated in relevant part:

Because of her limitations as a result' of the subarachnoid hemorrhage, she should not be lifting anything over 25 pounds. She should also have limited or restricted amounts of walking because of balance issues. Bagging clothes is difficult for her because of the paralysis of her right arm. Closing shifts are also difficult for her because of the cleaning and folding of large amounts of clothing.

(PI. Ex. 5.)

Brooks testified that, after receiving this note, he had a conversation with Cover. (Brooks Dep. 37.) He asked which job Cover wanted or thought she could handle at the store. (Id.; JCP Ex. 19 at 2.) Cover’s response is disputed. Brooks testified in his deposition that Cover responded, “No. I’m supposed to say what positions do you have available for me?” (Brooks Dep. 37; see also id. 45.) He felt uncomfortable with this response because it was as if someone had told her what to say. (Id. 37, 45.) Cover, on the other hand, told an EEOC investigator in October 2012 that she said she did not know what other jobs were available that she could perform, but that she could do any job that would fulfill her doctor’s accommodations. (JCP Ex. 19 at 2.) Regardless, the parties agree on the remainder of the conversation: Brooks told Cover he was going to contact JCP’s Human Resources (“HR”) office in Texas to determine next steps and she should go home for the rest of the day with pay. (Id. 37, 45, 55.) Brooks also told her she was on leave until he could determine what jobs matched the accommodations she sought; Cover did not work another day at JCP. (See id. 37-38, 55-56, 58, 68-70.)

Brooks forwarded Cover’s note to Crystal Hodges in HR. (PI. Ex. 6 at 51; Brooks Dep. 15-17, 24, 36.) Hodges directed Brooks to contact Powerline Absence Management Center (“Powerline”).6 (PL Ex.

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187 F. Supp. 3d 1079, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66964, 2016 WL 2962200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cover-v-jc-penney-corp-mnd-2016.