Dukes v. Wal-Mart, Inc.

222 F.R.D. 189, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11365, 85 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,689, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 2004 WL 1385493
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedJune 21, 2004
DocketNo. C01-02252 MJJ
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 222 F.R.D. 189 (Dukes v. Wal-Mart, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dukes v. Wal-Mart, Inc., 222 F.R.D. 189, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11365, 85 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,689, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 2004 WL 1385493 (N.D. Cal. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS’ AND DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS TO STRIKE EXPERT AND NON-EXPERT TESTIMONY

JENKINS, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

In conjunction with the Motion for Class Certification, both parties have filed a number of motions to strike particular portions of the evidence. With respect to the expert testimony, Defendant moves to strike the declarations of William Bielby and Marc [191]*191Bendick in their entirety, and a small portion of the declaration of Richard Drogin. Plaintiffs move to strike portions of the declaration of Joan Haworth. With respect to the non-expert testimony, Defendant moves to strike portions of the declarations of the named plaintiffs and designated class members while Plaintiffs move to strike declarations filed by store managers. The Court discusses each motion in turn.

DISCUSSION

I. MOTIONS TO STRIKE EXPERT TESTIMONY

A. Legal Standard

As discussed in the Court’s Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification, filed simultaneously herewith (“Class Certification Order”), arguments on the merits are improper at this stage of the proceedings. See Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 177, 94 S.Ct. 2140, 40 L.Ed.2d 732 (1974) (“We find nothing in either the language or history of Rule 23 that gives a court any authority to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the merits of a suit in order to determine whether it may be maintained as a class action”); Selzer v. Bd. of Educ. of City of New York, 112 F.R.D. 176, 178 (S.D.N.Y.1986) (“[a] motion for class certification is not the occasion for a mini-hearing on the merits”). Accordingly, courts should avoid resolving “the battle of the experts.” See Caridad v. Metro-North Commuter R.R., 191 F.3d 283, 292-93 (2d Cir.1999) (district court may not weigh conflicting expert evidence or engage in “statistical dueling” of experts). Indeed, courts should not even apply the full Daubert “gatekeeper” standard at this stage. See Dau-bert v. Merrell Dow Pharms. Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S.Ct. 2786, 125 L.Ed.2d 469 (1993).1 Rather, “[i]t is clear to the Court that a lower Daubert standard should be employed at this [class certification] stage of the proceedings.” Thomas & Thomas Rodmakers, Inc. v. Newport Adhesives and Composites, Inc., 209 F.R.D. 159, 162-63 (C.D.Cal.2002); see also O’Connor v. Boeing North American, Inc., 184 F.R.D. 311, 321 n. 7 (C.D.Cal. 1998) (Daubert inquiry inappropriate at class certification stage).

This does not mean, however, that courts must uncritically accept all expert evidence that is offered in support of, or against, class certification. Rather, the question is whether the expert evidence is sufficiently probative to be useful in evaluating whether class certification requirements have been met. See In re Polypropylene Carpet Antitrust Litigation, 996 F.Supp. 18, 26 (N.D.Ga.1997) (at class certification stage court only examined whether the expert’s methodology will (a) comport with basic principles, (b) have any probative value, and (e) primarily use evidence that is common to all members of the proposed class); Bacon v. Honda of America Mfg., Inc., 205 F.R.D. 466, 470-71 (S.D.Ohio 2001) (“ ‘For common questions to exist, plaintiffs’ statistical evidence must logically support the inference of discrimination against the class asserted.’ ”) (citation omitted); see also Dean v. The Boeing Co., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8787 at *33-35 (D.Kansas) (at class certification stage, court should only determine whether expert testimony is so fatally flawed as to be inadmissible as a matter of law). It is with these principles in mind that the Court considers the parties’ respective motions.

B. Defendant’s Motion to Strike Declaration of William Bielby

As discussed in the Class Certification Order, Dr. Bielby conducted a “social framework analysis” by combining an extensive review of documents and deposition testimony regarding Wal-Mart’s culture and practices with his knowledge of the profes[192]*192sional research and literature in the field. This is an acceptable social science methodology. Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228, 235-36, 255,109 S.Ct. 1775,104 L.Ed.2d 268 (1989) (considering similar evidence by an expert social psychologist); Fed.R.Evid. 702 (referring to “scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge”). Dr. Bielby’s testimony on sex stereotyping also has been admitted in prior cases in this district. See Butler v. Home Depot, Inc., 984 F.Supp. 1257, 1265 (N.D.Cal.1997); Stender v. Lucky Stores, Inc., 803 F.Supp. 259, 301-03, 327 (N.D.Cal.1992).2

Defendant raises a plethora of challenges to Dr. Bielby’s opinions. Having reviewed them, the Court concludes that they are of the type that go to the weight, rather than the admissibility, of the evidence. The most significant criticism is that Dr. Bielby cannot determine with any specificity how regularly stereotypes play a meaningful role in employment decisions at Wal-Mart. At his deposition, for example, Dr. Bielby conceded that he could not calculate whether 0.5 percent or 95 percent of the employment decisions at Wal-Mart might be determined by stereotyped thinking. See Def.’s Mtn. to Strike re Bielby at 9 (citing Bielby Depo. at 87-88, 161-62, 370-71). While this could present a difficulty for Plaintiffs at trial, the question here is whether Dr. Bielby’s opinion is so flawed that it lacks sufficient probative value to be considered in assessing commonality.

Plaintiffs concede that Dr. Bielby cannot quantify the degree of gender stereotyping at Wal-Mart, but argue that such quantification is not necessary.3 See Pls.’ Opp. re Motion to Strike re Bielby at 11. They point to Price Waterhouse, in which the trial court relied on a social psychologist’s testimony that the defendant was “likely influenced by sex stereotyping,” even though the expert “admitted that she could not say with certainty whether any particular comment was the result of stereotyping.” Price Water-house, 490 U.S. at 235-36,109 S.Ct. 1775; cf. Costa v. Desert Palace, Inc., 299 F.3d 838, 861 (9th Cir.2002), aff'd, 539 U.S. 90, 123 S.Ct. 2148, 156 L.Ed.2d 84 (2003) (recognizing relevance of lay testimony regarding gender stereotyping).

The Court is further guided by Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc. (Daubert II), 43 F.3d 1311, 1316 (9th Cir.1995), in which the Ninth Circuit stated that scientific knowledge “does not mean absolute certainty,” and that expert testimony should be admitted when “the proffered testimony is ‘based on scientifically valid principles.’ ”

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222 F.R.D. 189, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11365, 85 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,689, 93 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 2004 WL 1385493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dukes-v-wal-mart-inc-cand-2004.