Ferguson v. American Telephone & Telegraph Co.

564 F. Supp. 1429, 31 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1638, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16519
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 2, 1983
DocketNo. 82-0327-CV-W-1
StatusPublished

This text of 564 F. Supp. 1429 (Ferguson v. American Telephone & Telegraph Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ferguson v. American Telephone & Telegraph Co., 564 F. Supp. 1429, 31 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1638, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16519 (W.D. Mo. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION, FINDINGS OF FACT, AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

JOHN W. OLIVER, Senior District Judge.

I. Introduction

This combined Title VII and Section 1981 case was tried without a jury, the parties having expressly waived their respective rights to a jury trial in regard to plaintiff’s Section 1981 claim. The parties, in accordance with standard pretrial procedures, entered into stipulations of fact in regard to a substantial number of the factual circumstances of this case. Many of the findings of fact proposed by each side are based on those stipulations of fact.

In addition, counsel have admitted that various of the findings of fact proposed by opposing counsel were accurately stated and thus commendably increased the area of undisputed factual data. We have marked the particular paragraphs of the findings of fact made in the next part of this opinion with an asterisk to indicate those findings of fact which have been admitted to be true by opposing counsel.

As will be apparent, we have substantially modified a number of the findings of fact as proposed by the respective parties. We shall also state in various footnotes our rejection of particular proposed findings of fact in order that our resolution of disputed issues of fact be clearly stated for possible appellate review.

We shall find and conclude that the defendant is entitled to a judgment in its favor under the findings of fact made in Part II of this memorandum opinion and under the conclusions of law stated in Part III thereof.

II. Findings of Fact

1. * Defendant American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT & T) is a corporation doing business in Jackson County, Missouri, and is an employer within the meaning of § 701(b) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b). (Stipulation of Facts, 11).

2. * Plaintiff Carolyn F. Ferguson, a black female, age 32, is a citizen of the United States, a resident of Lenexa, Kansas, and a former employee of defendant. (Stipulation of Facts, $ 2).

3. * On October 21, 1974, plaintiff was hired by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (Southwestern Bell) to work in Little Rock, Arkansas, as an Engineering Associate at a salary of $925.00 per month. Plaintiff was later promoted to a First Level management position with Southwestern Bell. Later, plaintiff was promoted to a Second Level management position with Southwestern Bell. (Stipulations of Fact, US).

4. * In September, 1978, plaintiff’s husband was transferred in his job with IBM from Little Rock, Arkansas, to St. Louis, Missouri. As a result, plaintiff requested of Southwestern Bell that she be transferred to St. Louis. (Stipulations of Fact, $4).

5. * Southwestern Bell transferred plaintiff to St. Louis, Missouri on September 15, 1978, where she was assigned the job of [1431]*1431Staff Manager, Network Design, in Engineering and Network Services. This job was a management job, Second Level, Upper Band, and her salary was $27,800.00 per year. (Stipulations of Fact, ¶5).

6. * In July, 1980, plaintiff’s husband was transferred to Kansas City, Missouri. At plaintiff’s request, Southwestern Bell attempted to find a management level position for her with Southwestern Bell in the Kansas City area, but none was available. (Stipulations of Fact, 16). Southwestern Bell attempted to find a management level position for which plaintiff was qualified with Western Electric in the Kansas City area, but none was available. Southwestern Bell attempted to find a management level position for which plaintiff was qualified with AT & T Long Lines in the Kansas City area, and discovered a possible opening involving a First Level management job in engineering, which was in the area of plaintiff’s previous job experience.

7. On July 22, 1980, plaintiff discussed this job opening with James Johnson, a third level manager with AT & T Long Lines, who was looking for candidates for this job. Johnson advised plaintiff that this job was at a lower level than the job plaintiff had with Southwestern Bell, that the job entailed no special promises for a promotion for plaintiff, and that plaintiff would have to compete with other First Level managers for promotions. Johnson did not offer the plaintiff any job at the close of their July 22,1980 meeting. Johnson did not make any promises, commitments or representations to plaintiff regarding either her entry into the MDP Program or promotional opportunities.1

8. * On July 28, 1980, and before plaintiff was offered such First Level engineering job, AT & T Long Lines instituted a hiring freeze order which eliminated this job opening for plaintiff and all other candidates. (D.Ex. 20, 21).

9. * In April, 1980, AT & T Long Lines announced the move of an Accounts and Finance Group, of approximately 15 persons, headed by Willis H. Canada, Third Level management, from New Jersey to Kansas City, Missouri. Most, if not all, employees in this group elected not to be transferred from New Jersey to Kansas City. (Stipulations of Fact, If 7).2

10. * After plaintiff’s possible job opportunity with AT & T Long Lines in Engineering in Kansas City was eliminated by the hiring freeze, it came to the attention of AT & T Long Lines that there might be an opening for which plaintiff could be considered in Mr. Canada’s Accounts and Finance Group, which was still in the process of moving from New Jersey to Kansas City. AT & T Long Lines thought some jobs in Mr. Canada’s group in Kansas City might be exempted from the hiring freeze in view of the reluctance of most, if not all, employees in that group to transfer from their homes in New Jersey to Kansas City. (Stipulations of Fact, f 8).3

11. * Mr. Canada was contacted by James Johnson about considering plaintiff for a job (Stipulation of Fact, 19), in view of .the fact that her husband had been transferred to Kansas City and plaintiff needed to relocate.

12. In early August, 1980, Mr. Canada telephoned plaintiff in St. Louis and advised her that he had a First Level management job opening and asked if she was interested. Plaintiff said she was interested. Canada then submitted plaintiff’s name to his superiors in order to obtain [1432]*1432approval for the extension of a job offer to plaintiff.

13. * The policy of AT & T Long Lines is that a manager who is looking to fill a job opening in his/her group does not personally interview candidates from within the Bell system. Instead, an Employee Profile on the candidates is submitted which gives detailed information such as the personnel history of the employee, work performance appraisals, educational background and company education and training courses.

14. While in Kansas City on personal business in early August, 1980, plaintiff and her husband, at plaintiff’s request, met with Mr. Canada in Canada’s office. Canada advised plaintiff that this job was at a lower level than the job plaintiff had with Southwestern Bell, that the job entailed no special promises for a promotion for plaintiff, and that plaintiff would have to compete with other First Level managers for promotions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
564 F. Supp. 1429, 31 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1638, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16519, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferguson-v-american-telephone-telegraph-co-mowd-1983.