Edwards v. Dialysis Clinic, Inc.

423 F. Supp. 2d 789, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11911, 2006 WL 746325
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 22, 2006
Docket3:05-mj-00109
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 423 F. Supp. 2d 789 (Edwards v. Dialysis Clinic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Dialysis Clinic, Inc., 423 F. Supp. 2d 789, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11911, 2006 WL 746325 (S.D. Ohio 2006).

Opinion

ORDER

BECKWITH, Chief Judge.

This matter is before the Court on Defendant Dialysis Clinic, Inc.’s motion , for summary judgment (Doc. No. 11). For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s motion is well-taken and is GRANTED.

I. Background

Plaintiff Deirdre Chabot asserts claims against Defendant Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (“DCI”) for interference with rights protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), 29 U.S.C. § 2615, disability discrimination in violation of the Ohio Civil Rights Act, Ohio Rev.Code § 4112.02(A), intentional infliction of emotional distress, *792 and invasion of privacy. The Court has subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs FMLA claim pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 29 U.S.C. § 2617(a)(2). The Court has supplemental subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiffs state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a) because they are a part of the same case or controversy as her federal claim. The Court also has original subject matter jurisdiction over the state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332 because the parties are diverse and the amount in controversy is in excess of $75,000. See Notice of Removal ¶¶ 2, 7 (indicating that Plaintiff is a citizen of the state of Ohio and that DCI is a Tennessee corporation with its principal place of business in Tennessee); Complaint Prayer for Relief (demanding $800,000 plus attorney’s fees and costs).

DCI is a non-profit corporation that provides treatment to patients with end-stage renal disease and severe kidney disease. Doc. No. 11, Hageman Aff. (Ex. 4) ¶ 2. DCI operates a number of facilities throughout the country, including one in Portsmouth, Ohio where Plaintiff was employed. Id. Plaintiff began employment with DCI in February 2002 as a receptionist. Plaintiffs initial job responsibilities were typical for a receptionist, Plaint. Dep. Ex. 5, but eventually she added to her duties by performing some of the functions of a ward clerk, such as completing and filing patient charts, labeling lab tubes, and assisting during crisis situations. Plaint. Dep. at 22. Plaintiff received a dollar an hour raise after she complained about picking up these extra duties. Id. at 62.

The record shows that for the most part Plaintiffs employment was fairly routine from her date of hire until about November 2004. The Court notes that, overall, her annual evaluations reflect good to exceptional performance. See Plaint. Dep. Exs. 6, 8, 10. In addition to the raise for taking on extra responsibilities, Plaintiff received a $.38 per hour merit increase in February 2003 and a $.40 per hour merit increase in February 2004. Plaint Dep. Exs. 9 & 11.

Plaintiff testified that in 2002 she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, panic disorder, eating disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. Id. at 24. Plaintiff states that she informed her immediate supervisor, Amy Salisbury, of these various diagnoses in 2002. Id. at 26. Plaintiff testified that these conditions caused her to have difficulty sleeping and that she no longer deals well with stressful situations. Id. at 33. Plaintiff admitted, however, that none of these conditions prevented her from performing any of aspect of her work with DCI nor did they interfere with her ability to take of herself. Plaint. Dep. at 35.

Plaintiff testified that in November 2004, her eating disorder, anorexia, became worse and that her outpatient therapist recommended that she admit herself to a clinic in Pittsburgh where she could receive twenty-four hour a day treatment. Id. at 54. At her deposition, when asked whether she requested FMLA leave, Plaintiff testified that she told Salisbury:

that I was strongly considering going, but I needed to know if I would be able to do the FMLA because it was going to be a minimum of one month’s stay. They could not give me when I would be dismissed from up there.

Id. at 56. In response, according to Plaintiff, Salisbury told her that she would “have to use any days I had, personal vacation days, before I could kick into the FMLA.” Id. Salisbury, on the other hand, avers that she told Plaintiff that she would have to use earned but unused vacation or bonus days as part of her approved FMLA leave. Salisbury Aff. (Doc. No. 11, Ex. 3) ¶ 3. In any event Plaintiff decided not to *793 admit herself to the clinic in Pittsburgh because she did not want to use up her vacation time and because she did not want her daughter to know that she had an eating disorder. Plaint. Dep. at 54-55.

On December 16, 2004, Plaintiff was summoned to a meeting with Salisbury and the director of DCI’s Portsmouth facility, Andy Mazon. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a series of sexually suggestive emails that Plaintiff had exchanged with another co-worker, Danny Blevins. Additionally, Mazon and Salisbury discussed with Plaintiff some comments she had made which raised workplace safety concerns among some of her co-workers. 1 Plaintiff claims that Mazon and Salisbury told her that from that point on she was required to stay in her office at all times and not speak to anyone. Plaintiff responded that she could not continue working under those conditions and immediately resigned. Id. at 65. Salisbury responded to Plaintiffs resignation by attempting to clarify that she and Mazon did not intend to forbid Plaintiff from talking to other staff members, but rather to make clear that she should discuss her problems with staff members in a manner that did not raise safety concerns. Salisbury also explained that they did not intend Plaintiff to resign and that she could contact DCI to correct any errors she perceived in Salisbury’s letter. Plaint. Dep. Ex. 4. Plaintiff, however, did not take Salisbury up on her offer to discuss the situation further because “I was very upset and I felt that I didn’t need to work for these people anymore.” Plaint. Dep. at 102.

In addition to these incidents, Plaintiff claims that she was subjected to closer scrutiny than her co-workers, she was not given instructions on performing health care services, she was unfairly reprimanded, and that her performance evaluations contained false statements. Plaintiff also claims that DCI retaliated against her by not paying her for earned but unused vacation and sick days. Plaintiffs breach of privacy claim arises out of an incident in which Salisbury contacted her physician with concerns that Plaintiff was suicidal and might harm herself. Plaint. Dep. at 51-53.

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423 F. Supp. 2d 789, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11911, 2006 WL 746325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-dialysis-clinic-inc-ohsd-2006.