Edner v. NYCTA-MTA

134 F. Supp. 3d 657, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125477, 2015 WL 5561027
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 18, 2015
DocketNo. 14-CV-00581 (MKB)
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 134 F. Supp. 3d 657 (Edner v. NYCTA-MTA) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edner v. NYCTA-MTA, 134 F. Supp. 3d 657, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125477, 2015 WL 5561027 (E.D.N.Y. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

MARGO K. BRODIE, District Judge:

Plaintiff Jean Baptiste Edner commenced this action on January 24, 2014, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (“Title VII”), and the New York State Human Rights Law, N.Y. Exec. Law § 290 et seq. (“NYSHRL”), alleging employment discrimination against the New York City Transportation Authority-MTA1 (“NYCTA”). At that time, Plaintiff proceeded pro se, and on May 7, 2014, the Court granted Plaintiffs request to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915, dismissed his claims, and granted him leave to file an amended complaint. (Docket Entry No. 4.) After retaining counsel, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint on August 14, 2014. (Am. Compl., Docket Entry No. 7.) Defendant moves to dismiss the Amended Complaint. (Def. Mot. to Dismiss, Docket Entry No. 17; Def. Mem. in Support of Mot. to Dismiss (“Def. Mem.”), Docket Entry No. 19.) For the reasons discussed below, the Court grants Defendant’s motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint. Plaintiff has thirty (30) days to file a second amended complaint.

I. Background

The allegations in the Amended Complaint are assumed to be true for the purposes of this motion. On or about November 21, 2010, Defendant NYCTA hired Plaintiff, an African-American of Haitian descent, as a Bus Operator. (Am. Compl. ¶¶ 11, 13.) Like all new bus operators, Plaintiff began a six-month “probationary term,” during which he was required to show he would be a “satisfactory” Bus Operator. (Id. ¶ 14.) As part of the probationary term, Plaintiff was subject to supervisory rides known as “Probie Rides.” (Id. ¶¶ 16, 39.)

Throughout his probationary period, Plaintiff received poor reviews and disci[660]*660pline for driving accidents and other infractions that, according to Plaintiff, were unfairly characterized and recorded. During his first “Probie Ride” on March 24, 2011, a NYCTA dispatcher cited Plaintiff for a dress code infraction despite his medical excuse, and cited him for poor driving and judgment although the underlying incidents occurred before Plaintiffs bus was “in service.” (Id. ¶¶ 16-26.) Plaintiffs union, Transit Workers Union (“TWU”) Local 100, explained to him that if his next “Probie Ride” did not improve, his probationary period would be extended. (Id. ¶ 29.)

Plaintiff was involved in a series of bus accidents. The first, on April 28, 2011, occurred when a double-parked car reversed into Plaintiffs bus. (Id. ¶¶ 30-32.) As a result, Plaintiff was re-trained and evaluated, and someone recommended that Plaintiff receive counseling. (Id. ¶33.) Four months later, on September 15, 2011, Plaintiff had another bus accident when a protruding ladder struck Plaintiffs bus as he was executing a turn. (Id. ¶ 34.) Thereafter, Plaintiff again attended a counseling session on safe bus operation and yielding the right of way. (Id. ¶ 36.) In addition, the NYCTA and TWU Local 100 agreed that instead of firing Plaintiff, they would extend his probationary period by six months. (Id. ¶ 38.)

On April 8, 2012, Plaintiff had a second “Probie Ride,” and again received an unfair report of his performance. (Id. ¶¶ 39-52.) According to the supervising NYCTA dispatcher, Plaintiff committed driving errors and demonstrated poor judgment, which resulted in a customer, who was in a wheel chair, being unable to ride the bus. (Id. ¶ 40.) Plaintiff alleges that the dispatcher did not acknowledge that other factors caused these issues, specifically, the presence of a driverless bus crowding the bus stop and vehicles obstructing Plaintiffs view. (Id. ¶¶ 41-51.)

When Plaintiff reported to work on April 13, 2012, he spoke with an “MTA” supervisor, Mr. Kendall, about the “Probie Ride” and the poor report. (Id. ¶ 53.) Plaintiff tried to explain the discrepancies between the report and what happened, but in response, Kendall stated that Plaintiffs explanations amounted to “an excuse” for “every single thing.” (Id. ¶ 54.) Three days later, Plaintiff returned to Kendall’s office with TWU Local 100 representative, Ronald Carter. (Id. ¶ 55.) Carter reviewed the report, and Kendall asked for Plaintiffs badge, and had him sign a form terminating his position as Bus Operator. (Id.) Plaintiff alleges he received “no process” and unwillingly signed the form. (Id. ¶¶ 56-57.)

On March 18, 2013, Plaintiff filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights (“NYSDHR”), which was duly filed with the EEOC.2 (NYSDHR [661]*661Compl., annexed to the Declaration of Max Wolfson (“Wolfson Decl.”) as Ex. C, Docket Entry No. 16.) The NYSDHR Complaint states that Plaintiff “opposed discrimination” and, “[bjecause of this, [he was] subject to unlawful discriminatory actions.”3 (NYSDHR Compl. 2.) Plaintiff checked the NYSDHR Complaint’s “Retaliation” box, leaving all others blank. (Id. at 4.) In the NYSDHR Complaint, Plaintiff recounted his bus accidents and disciplinary reports, and explained how they were unfair characterizations. (Id. at 5-8.) Plaintiff also included allegations that at some point near the end of his employment, his boss brought another employee from the same country as Plaintiff to translate from English to Creole, which offended Plaintiff, because his boss knew that Plaintiff could speak and understand English. (Mat7.)

On September 12, 2013, NYSDHR issued its investigation results, finding no probable cause to believe Defendant engaged in discrimination or retaliation. (NYSDHR Determination and Order After Investigation dated Sept. 12, 2013 (“NYSDHR Determination”) 1, annexed to Tapia Decl. as Ex. E.) Thereafter, on October 28, 2013, the EEOC issued Plaintiff his “Notice of Rights.” (EEOC Dismissal and Notice of Rights, annexed to Tapia Decl. as Ex. F.)

II. Discussion

a. Standards of Review

i. Rule 12(b)(1)

A district court may dismiss an action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) when the court “lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate it. . . .’ ” Cortlandt St. Recovery Corp. v. Hellas Telecomms., S.A.R.L., 790 F.3d 411 (2d Cir.2015) (quoting Makarova v. United States, 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir.2000)); Shabaj v. Holder, 718 F.3d 48, 50 (2d Cir.2013) (quoting Aurecchione v. Schoolman Transp. Sys., Inc., 426 F.3d 635, 638 (2d Cir.2005)). A plaintiff asserting subject matter jurisdiction has the burden to prove that it exists, and in evaluating whether the plaintiff has met that burden, “ ‘[t]he court must take all facts alleged in the complaint as true and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of plaintiff,’ but ‘jurisdiction must be shown affirmatively, and that showing is not made by drawing from the pleadings inferences favorable to the party asserting it.’ ” Morrison v. Nat’l Austl. Bank Ltd., 547 F.3d 167, 170 (2d Cir.2008) (citations omitted), aff'd,

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134 F. Supp. 3d 657, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125477, 2015 WL 5561027, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edner-v-nycta-mta-nyed-2015.