Davenport v. Natgun Corp.

941 F. Supp. 2d 141, 27 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1264, 2013 WL 952345, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32291
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedMarch 7, 2013
DocketCivil Action No. 12-11740-NMG
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 941 F. Supp. 2d 141 (Davenport v. Natgun Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Davenport v. Natgun Corp., 941 F. Supp. 2d 141, 27 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1264, 2013 WL 952345, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32291 (D. Mass. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

GORTON, District Judge.

In the instant case, plaintiff Jason Davenport (“Davenport”) alleges that his former employer, defendant Natgun Corporation (“Natgun”), terminated him on the basis of several objectionable reasons. Defendant now moves to dismiss.

I. Background

Plaintiff Davenport worked as a Laborer at defendant Natgun, which designs water storage tanks for municipalities. He suffered a broken ankle on a job site in October, 2009 and claims to have heard that defendant Natgun was aggravated because it was the second time he had been injured in 2009. He was cleared to resume working in December, 2009 but was not given any assignments and, in January, 2010, he was terminated.

About eight months after his termination, plaintiff filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Dis[143]*143crimination (“the MCAD”). Although defendant purportedly advertised openings for the position of Laborer and Laborer Foreman during that time, plaintiff does not allege that he sought and was denied a position after he filed his MCAD complaint.

Plaintiff withdrew the MCAD complaint in order to pursue the instant case and filed a Complaint in Massachusetts Superi- or Court for Middlesex County in June, 2012. Defendant duly removed the case to this Court in September, 2012 and filed the pending motion to dismiss.

Plaintiff brings seven claims: Counts I and II allege violations of the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act, M.G.L. c. 152, §§ 75A and 75B (“MWCA”); Counts III and IV allege handicap discrimination under the Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Statute, M.G.L. c. 151B (“Chapter 151B”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”); Counts V and VI allege retaliation under both Chapter 151B and the ADA; and Count VII alleges a violation of the Federal Rehabilitation Act (“FRA”).

II. Analysis

Defendant has moved to dismiss all counts for failure to state claims upon which relief can be granted pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6).

A. Legal Standard

To survive a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), a complaint must contain “sufficient factual matter” to state a claim for relief that is actionable as a matter of law and “plausible on its face.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 667, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). A claim is facially plausible if, after accepting as true all non-conclusory factual allegations, the court can draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Ocasio-Hernandez v. Fortuno-Burset, 640 F.3d 1, 12 (1st Cir.2011). A court may not disregard properly pled factual allegations even if actual proof of those facts is improbable. Id. Rather, the relevant inquiry focuses on the reasonableness of the inference of liability that the plaintiff is asking the court to draw. Id. at 13. When rendering that determination, a court may not look beyond the facts alleged in the complaint, documents incorporated by reference therein and facts susceptible to judicial notice. Haley v. City of Boston, 657 F.3d 39, 46 (1st Cir.2011).

B. Counts I and II: Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act Claims

Section 75A of the MWCA requires employers to grant a preference in favor of re-hiring injured employees, provided that suitable work is available. Section 75B of the MWCA prohibits an employer from discriminating against any employee because the employee obtained worker’s compensation. Importantly, both provisions provide that if either right is “inconsistent with an applicable” collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) then the CBA will prevail. See M.G.L.C. 152, §§ 75A, 75B.

Defendant argues that plaintiffs claims under the MWCA are preempted by Section 301(a) of the Labor Management Relations Act (“the LMRA”) because plaintiff was a member of a branch of the AFL-CIO (“the Union”) that was a party to a CBA with defendant. State law employment claims are preempted by Section 301(a) when the claim “plausibly can be said to depend upon the meaning of one or more provisions within” the CBA. See Haggins v. Verizon New England, Inc., 648 F.3d 50, 54-55 (1st Cir.2011).

[144]*144The preemptive force of Section 301(a), when coupled with the text of the MWCA requiring courts to search for inconsistencies between the statute' and the CBA, is fatal to plaintiffs. MWCA claims. See Sullivan v. Raytheon Co., 262 F.3d 41, 50 (1st Cir.2001) (noting § 75B claim preempted not because relevant CBA was inconsistent with claims asserted “but because it may be so and requires interpretation”). Although not expressly contained within the Complaint, plaintiff concedes in his opposition .to defendant’s motion that, as defendant’s employee, he was a member of the Union. The CBA to which he was therefore a party contains provisions granting defendant the right to re-hire any employee who has previously worked for defendant for four months and to accept or reject any applicants referred to it by the Union once the pool of potential “re-hires” has emptied. The CBA also guarantees that any referrals so made by the Union must be on a non-discriminatory basis. Because the Court is compelled to interpret those provisions to determine whether they conflict with Sections 75A and 75B of the MWCA before plaintiff may bring claims under that statute, the claims “plausibly” depend upon the meaning of the CBA. Cf. Sullivan, 262 F.3d at 50 (preempting plaintiffs claim where CBA provision granting broad supervisory discretion could conflict with section 75B). Accordingly, plaintiffs MWCA claims are preempted and will be dismissed.

C. Counts III and IV: Chapter 151B and American’s with Disabilities Act Claims

Defendant contends that plaintiffs disability discrimination claims under Chapter 151B and the ADA must fail because plaintiff has not adequately alleged that he is disabled under either statute.

Chapter 151B is the Massachusetts analogue to the ADA and the definitions of “disability” under the ADA and “handicapped” under Chapter 151B are “virtually identical.” Sensing v. Outback Steakhouse of Florida, LLC, 575 F.3d 145, 153-54 (1st Cir.2009). The Court will, therefore, interpret plaintiffs Chapter 151B claim in accordance with federal case law interpreting the ADA. See id. (noting Massachusetts courts follow same practice).

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941 F. Supp. 2d 141, 27 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 1264, 2013 WL 952345, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 32291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davenport-v-natgun-corp-mad-2013.