Gates v. United States Postal Service

622 F. Supp. 563, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15284
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedOctober 3, 1985
DocketNo. 85-388C(1)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 622 F. Supp. 563 (Gates v. United States Postal Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gates v. United States Postal Service, 622 F. Supp. 563, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15284 (E.D. Mo. 1985).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

NANGLE, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff was employed as a letter carrier for the Chicago office of the United States Post Office. Plaintiff alleges in his complaint that he suffered an injury while on the job in November, 1978. Sometime during 1980, plaintiff was reassigned by defendant from his job as a letter carrier to a position as a distribution clerk. Plaintiff claims that the reassignment was both arbitrary and involuntary. Plaintiff further alleges in his petition that as a result of the prior injury and the more demanding physical requirements of a distribution clerk, plaintiff was forced to apply for disability. Following his denial of disability, plaintiff was ultimately discharged on January 6, 1982 for being absent without leave. Plaintiff filed this action on February 19, 1985 seeking relief under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.; under 39 U.S.C. § 1208(b) for breach of the collective bargaining agreement; and under 42 U.S.C. § 1981 and § 1983 for discrimination on the basis of race and handicap.

[564]*564This case is now before this Court on defendant’s motion to dismiss or in the alternative, motion for summary judgment. An attorney was appointed to represent plaintiff by this Court on June 12, 1985. Plaintiff subsequently filed an amended complaint and responded to defendant’s motions. Under Rule 12(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, when matters outside the pleadings are considered, the motion to dismiss must be treated as a motion for summary judgment under Rule 56. Court v. Hall County, Nebraska, 725 F.2d 1170 (8th Cir.1984). This Court, in ruling on defendant’s motion, considered only the pleadings in this action. Accordingly, defendant’s motion will be treated solely as a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b).

In passing on a motion to dismiss, a court is required to view the facts alleged in the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974); Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957). A motion to dismiss will not be granted merely because the complaint does not state every element necessary for recovery with precision. 5 Wright & Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure: Civil § 1216 at 120 (1969). A complaint is sufficient if it “contain[s] allegations from which an inference fairly may be drawn that evidence on these material points will be introduced at trial.” Id. at 122-23. A complaint should not be dismissed unless it “appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” Conley, 355 U.S. at 45-46, 78 S.Ct. at 101-02.

Plaintiff, in Count I of his complaint, seeks relief under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. Defendant moves to dismiss Count I on the basis that plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies. Plaintiff, in his complaint, failed to specify whether he was seeking redress under § 501 or § 505 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 791, contains various provisions for encouraging the Post Office to employ the handicapped. In 1978, Congress created a private cause of action for this section by adding § 505, 29 U.S.C. § 794a to the Act. The section provides that the “remedies, procedures and rights” in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 shall be available to any federal employee complaining of handicap discrimination. McGuinness v. United States Postal Service, 744 F.2d 1318 (7th Cir.1984). The addition of the new section in 1978 requires a plaintiff to seek and exhaust administrative remedies prior to filing an action in federal court. Prewitt v. United States Postal Service, 662 F.2d 292, 303 (5th Cir.1981). In the case at bar, plaintiff’s failure to do so is fatal to his cause of action. Plaintiff has failed to pursue any of the administrative requirements of 29 C.F.R. § 1613 et seq. Accordingly, Count I of plaintiff’s complaint must be dismissed.

In addition, plaintiff cannot avoid the exhaustion requirement of section 501 simply by alleging his cause of action under section 504, 29 U.S.C. § 794. It is clear that section 504 is applicable to employment discrimination. See Consolidated Rail Corp. v. Darrone, 465 U.S. 624, 104 S.Ct. 1248, 1253-55, 79 L.Ed.2d 568 (1984). Several circuits, including the Eighth Circuit, in Miener v. Missouri, 673 F.2d 969 (8th Cir.1982) have held that under certain circumstances “§ 504 suits may be maintained in advance of exhaustion of administrative remedies”. However, Miener is distinguishable from the case at bar for the reason that in Miener the plaintiff was not trying to get or retain a job. Plaintiff’s complaint in Miener alleged discrimination in the provision of educational services in violation of § 504. See Miener v. Missouri, 673 F.2d at 975. Under § 504, the 1978 amendment made Title VI remedies available to the plaintiff. Title VI remedies, which include cutting off federal funds to the discriminator are not designed to assist an individual. Accordingly, the Eighth Circuit has not required plaintiffs to exhaust Title VI remedies in situations where the [565]*565remedies available will be of little or no avail to the individual plaintiff. Miener v. State of Missouri, 673 F.2d at 978. In this action however, under § 501 the plaintiff is provided all the remedies, procedures and rights set forth in section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. § 505(a), 29 U.S.C. § 794a(a). It is clear to this Court that § 501 affords adequate remedies to redress the alleged discrimination. This Court is in agreement with the Seventh Circuit’s well reasoned opinion in McGuinness v. United States Postal Service, supra. That action is squarely on point with the case at bar.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
622 F. Supp. 563, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gates-v-united-states-postal-service-moed-1985.