Edwards v. Huntington Union Free School District

957 F. Supp. 2d 203, 2013 WL 3785620, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100667, 119 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 209
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJuly 18, 2013
DocketNo. 11-CV-1408 (MKB)
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 957 F. Supp. 2d 203 (Edwards v. Huntington Union Free School District) 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
Edwards v. Huntington Union Free School District, 957 F. Supp. 2d 203, 2013 WL 3785620, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100667, 119 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 209 (E.D.N.Y. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

MARGO K. BRODIE, District Judge.

Plaintiff Wayne Edwards brings the above-captioned action against Defendant Huntington Union Free School District, asserting claims of racial discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation under Title VII, § 1981, § 1983, New York State Human Rights Law and Suffolk County Human Rights Law. Defendant moved for summary judgment and attorneys’ fees. The Court heard oral argument on May 29, 2013. At oral argument, Plaintiff withdrew all claims under New York State Human Rights Law and Suffolk County Human Rights Law, as well as all retaliation and hostile work environment claims. For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants Defendant’s motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs remaining claims and denies Defendant’s motion for attorneys’ fees.

I. Background

Plaintiff was hired in 2005 as the District Director of Mathematics at Huntington Union Free School District (the “District” or “Defendant”). (Def. 56.1 ¶41.) According to Plaintiff, he was interviewed by Margaret Evers who recommended him to the Superintendent and the District’s Board of Education (the “Board”). (PL 56.1 ¶ 43. 1.) According to Defendant, Plaintiff was hired on the recommendation of John Finello, then Superintendent of Schools. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 43.) Plaintiffs employment was approved by the Board. (Id. at ¶ 44; Pl. 56.1 ¶ 44.) Several years later in a May 13, 2008 letter, Finello described Plaintiffs service as “outstanding.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 48; Pl. 56.1 ¶ 48.) Finello recommend Plaintiff for tenure on June 9, 2008 and the Board approved Plaintiffs tenure the same day.1 (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 48-50; PL 56.1 ¶¶ 48-50.)

When Plaintiff was hired, the Director of Mathematics was not required to teach classes. (See Def. 56.1 ¶ 53; PL 56.1 ¶ 53.) Plaintiffs job duties included “supervising] the K-12 math program at the District, providing] professional development for K-12 math staff, evaluating] math teachers, and implementing] the math curriculum.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 53; Pl. 56. 1 ¶ 53.) Plaintiff “also met with peer staff to ensure delivery of effective instruction with regards to mathematics, and observed and evaluated approximately 35 teachers.” (PL 56.1 ¶ 53.2.) Plaintiff asserts that he “was also ‘very familiar’ with a number of different technologies,” was called when teachers had problems using technology, and was “responsible for bringing new ini[206]*206tiatives to the department, including technology initiatives.” (Id. at ¶¶ 53.3-53.4.)

During the 2008/2009 school year, the Board, the Central Administration2 and Defendant considered ways to reduce the District’s budget, including “downsizing at the administrative level” and possibly reducing the number of administrative positions. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 67, 70; PI. 56.1 ¶ 71.1.) As a result, a number of administrative positions were reduced in the 2008/2009 school year. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 72; PL 56.1 ¶ 72.) According to Defendant, “Finello did not want to lose a [director position, as he felt they were key positions.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 73.) At a budget meeting, Finello told administrators that they would have to take on additional responsibilities because of budget cuts. (Id. at ¶ 75; Pl. 56.1 ¶ 75.) There was an informal proposal to combine the Director of Mathematics and Director of Science positions, which would have resulted in one of the directors being eliminated. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 78-79; Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 78-79.)

As part of Central Administration’s plan not to cut any director position, it proposed having two directors teach classes “to deal with budget issues and save money.” 3 (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 87-88; see also Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 87-88.) Defendant believed that the proposal would save money, since “it would preclude the need to have another teacher, or to hire a teacher to, teach the classes the [djirectors would teach.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 98; see also PL 56.1 ¶ 98.) At the time of the proposal, there were seven directors and Plaintiff was the only African American director. (PL 56.1 ¶¶ 88.1-88.2.) Plaintiff learned of the proposal to have two directors teach “sometime after Christmas break.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 95.) According to Plaintiff, requiring directors “to teach would have a negative effect on their ability to supervise their staff’ and would affect their “ability to observe other teachers, conduct meetings, and attend superintendent cabinet meetings.” (PL 56.1 ¶¶ 101.1-101.2.) Plaintiffs union (the “Union”) was not in favor of the plan and “[e]veryone in the district knew that there is simply not enough time to both teach effectively and be a competent [djirector.” (Id. at ¶¶ 101.3-101.4,101.6.)

In June 2009, the Technology Coordinator retired. (Def. 56. ¶¶ 103-104; PL 56.1 ¶¶ 103-104.) “The Technology Coordinator ensured that teachers had the necessary software to run any educational software, ensured that the SMART boards were working, and provide[d] training, amongst other duties.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 108; see also PL 56.1 ¶ 108.) The Technology Coordinator “also conducted after-school professional development on instructional technology.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 109; see also Pl. 56.1 ¶ 109.) Defendant asserts that “[t]he Technology Coordinator was a teaching position, not an administrative-level position.” (Def. 56.1 ¶ 105.) According to Plaintiff, “[t]he position was a ‘teaching-level’ position in terms of salary and whether the position was authorized to do formal observations, only because the person who held the position was a teacher, but the position itself required no teaching duties.” (PL 56.1 ¶ 105.1.)

Finello gave the Union an opportunity to propose creative alternatives to having directors teach classes. (Def. 56.1 ¶ 111.) In a letter dated April 16, 2009, the Union proposed that David Casamento,4 a Cauca[207]*207sian male and the Director of Science, and Plaintiff share the duties of the Technology Coordinator who retired in June. (Id. at ¶¶ 31, 114; Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 31, 114.) Defendant asserts that the Union’s proposal was not helpful to its budget needs because it “did not create any increase in teaching without increase in budget” and was therefore not included in the final budget recommended to the Board. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 117-119.) According to Plaintiff, the Union was never told it had to increase teaching with its proposal and, in any event, the final proposal that was sent to the Board did not increase teaching, since under the final proposal, Casamento became the Technology Coordinator and someone else had to be hired to teach the science classes. (Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 117-118.3.)

In the final proposal, Defendant created a position called the Director of Science and Instructional Technology and selected Casamento for the position. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 122; 151; Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 122, 151.) Plaintiff alleges that the position of the Director of Technology and Science was created specifically for Casamento, rather than giving the Plaintiff a fair opportunity to have the Technology position added to his duties and creating a Director of Technology and Mathematics. (Pl. 56.1 ¶¶ 124-158.1.) Defendant alleges that the Director of Technology and Science position was created and given to Casamento for several reasons. (Def. 56.1 ¶¶ 125-138.) Defendant alleges that Casamento had expressed an interest in the position to multiple individuals, including Finello, and Casamento applied for the position. (Id.)

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957 F. Supp. 2d 203, 2013 WL 3785620, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100667, 119 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-huntington-union-free-school-district-nyed-2013.