Epps v. Potomac Elec. Power Co.

389 F. Supp. 3d 53
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedJune 10, 2019
DocketCivil Action No. 18-1423 (CKK)
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 389 F. Supp. 3d 53 (Epps v. Potomac Elec. Power Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Epps v. Potomac Elec. Power Co., 389 F. Supp. 3d 53 (D.C. Cir. 2019).

Opinion

COLLEEN KOLLAR-KOTELLY, United States District Judge

Plaintiff was employed by the Potomac Electric Power Company ("Pepco"), a public utility company owned by Exelon Corporation, from February 22, 1994 until her termination on June 21, 2018. Beginning in March 2006, Plaintiff alleges that she became disabled from work due to a depressive illness and was placed on long term disability leave. In June 2016, Defendants informed Plaintiff that she would be terminated unless she returned to work. Plaintiff contends that she attempted to return to work. However, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants discriminated against her by failing to reinstate her and by ultimately terminating her on June 21, 2018. Plaintiff brings claims for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA"), 42 U.S.C. § 12101, and under the District of Columbia Human Rights Act ("DCHRA"), D.C. Code § 2-1402.11. Defendants have filed a Motion to Dismiss, arguing that Plaintiff's claims are untimely and that Plaintiff has failed to state a claim for which relief may be granted.

Upon consideration of the pleadings,1 the relevant legal authorities, and the record as a whole, the Court will GRANT IN PART and DENY WITHOUT PREJUDICE IN PART Defendants' Motion to Dismiss. Defendants' Motion is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE IN PART as at least some of Plaintiff's claims are timely. Specifically, the Court concludes that Plaintiff's ADA claim is timely with respect to acts occurring on or after September 19, 2017, and her DCHRA claim is timely with respect to acts occurring on or after June 14, 2017. As such, Plaintiff's *57claims concerning Defendants' alleged January 2018 decision to terminate her in 90 days if she could not identify a new position and her June 21, 2018 termination are timely. The Court further concludes that Plaintiff has alleged facts sufficient to state a claim for disability discrimination under the ADA and the DCHRA for these events. Additional factual development is required before the Court can more fully assess Plaintiff's claims.

However, Defendants' Motion is also GRANTED IN PART. Plaintiff's claims related to Defendants' June 23, 2016 letter informing her that she needed to return to work and Defendants' alleged August 2016 to May 2017 comments that she would be returned to work shortly are DISMISSED as untimely.

I. BACKGROUND

For the purposes of the motion before the Court, the Court accepts as true the well-pled allegations in Plaintiff's Complaint. The Court does "not accept as true, however, the plaintiff's legal conclusions or inferences that are unsupported by the facts alleged." Ralls Corp. v. Comm. on Foreign Inv. in the United States , 758 F.3d 296, 315 (D.C. Cir. 2014).

Plaintiff alleges that she was hired by Pepco, a public utility company owned by Exelon Corporation, on February 22, 1994 as a Senior Administrative Assistant. Am. Compl., ECF No. 9, ¶ 8. Sometime before March 2006, Plaintiff contends that she was assigned to work as a Service Associate. Id.

In March 2006, Plaintiff alleges that she became disabled from work due to a depressive illness. Id. at ¶ 9. Due to her depressive illness, Plaintiff claims that Pepco placed her on long term disability leave. Id. For the next ten years and three months, Plaintiff claims that she struggled with her mental illness. Id. at ¶ 10. But, by 2016, Plaintiff alleges that she was recovered to the extent that she could return to work. Id.

On June 23, 2016, Plaintiff claims that Pepco sent her a letter informing her that it had concluded that she was "unable to return to work [her] assigned position, Senior Admin Asst., due to [her] medical condition." Id. at ¶ 12. According to Plaintiff, the letter further explained that if Plaintiff's healthcare provider certified that she was allowed to work, Pepco would help Plaintiff and her provider determine whether a reasonable accommodation could be made to allow her to perform the essential functions of her job. Id. The letter stated that if Plaintiff did not respond by August 23, 2016, Pepco would terminate Plaintiff's employment. Id. Plaintiff claims that, prior to this letter, Pepco had not informed her that there was a time limit for her leave, that her job would not be held, or that she would be terminated if she did not return to work. Id. at ¶ 11.

Plaintiff alleges that she responded to Pepco's letter prior to August 23, 2016, informing Pepco that she was ready to return to work. Id. at ¶ 13. Plaintiff further alleges that, on multiple occasions, she provided Pepco with medical documentation confirming that she could return to work without limitations. Id. at ¶ 14. Following Plaintiff's reply to Pepco's letter, Plaintiff contends that Pepco human resources managers repeatedly told Plaintiff that a position had been identified and that she would soon be returned to work. Id. at ¶ 15. Specifically, in May 2017, Plaintiff alleges that she was told by Pepco that she would be returned to work by the end of the month. Id. at ¶ 16. However, Plaintiff was not reinstated.

In January 2018, Plaintiff alleges that Pepco informed her that, in order to be reinstated, she would "have to monitor *58Pepco's vacancy announcements to identify a suitable position, reapply for employment with Pepco, and be found qualified for an open position." Id. Plaintiff was given until April 20, 2018 to be selected for another position or face termination. Plaintiff claims that by placing the burden on her to identify a position, apply, and be selected, Pepco discriminated against her based on her disability because other employees were routinely assigned and reassigned when vacant positions became available. Id. at ¶ 17.

On March 19, 2019, Plaintiff filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), alleging that Defendants had discriminated against Plaintiff on the basis of her disability by threatening her with termination and by failing to reinstate her. Id. at ¶ 3. And, the following day, on March 20, 2019, Plaintiff received a dismissal of her claim by the EEOC and a notice of her rights to sue. Id. On June 15, 2018, Plaintiff brought this lawsuit alleging disability discrimination based on Defendants' threats of termination and on Defendants' failure to reinstate Plaintiff.

On June 21, 2018, Pepco terminated Plaintiff's employment. Id. at ¶ 20a. Plaintiff alleges that her termination resulted in the loss of wages that she would have earned if reinstated as well as the loss of healthcare coverage that she had maintained as an employee of Pepco. Id.

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Bluebook (online)
389 F. Supp. 3d 53, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/epps-v-potomac-elec-power-co-cadc-2019.