Gipson v. KAS Snacktime Co.

874 F. Supp. 1548, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20731, 71 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 1993 WL 763131
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedOctober 6, 1993
DocketNo. 91-1827C(5)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 874 F. Supp. 1548 (Gipson v. KAS Snacktime Co.) 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
Gipson v. KAS Snacktime Co., 874 F. Supp. 1548, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20731, 71 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 1993 WL 763131 (E.D. Mo. 1993).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

LIMBAUGH, District Judge.

Plaintiff has filed a six-count employment discrimination case alleging racial discrimination in violation of the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA), § 213.010 et. seq. R.S.Mo. and Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. Counts I through IV are pendent state claims (I—violations of MHRA; II—puni-tives on Count I; III—retaliation claim under MHRA; IV—punitives on Count III); while Counts V and VI are Title VII claims (V—violations of Title VII and VI—retaliation claim under Title VII). Plaintiff further seeks monetary relief under his Title VII claims. This matter is before the Court on the defendant’s motion for partial summary judgment (# 0), filed March 25, 1993. Responsive pleadings have been filed.

Courts have repeatedly recognized that summary judgment is a harsh remedy that should be granted only when the moving party has established his right to judgment with such clarity as not to give rise to controversy. New England Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Null, 554 F.2d 896, 901 (8th Cir.1977). Summary judgment motions, however, “can be a tool of great utility in removing factually insubstantial cases from crowded dockets, freeing courts’ trial time for those that really do raise genuine issues of material fact.” Mt. Pleasant v. Associated Elec. Coop. Inc., 838 F.2d 268, 273 (8th Cir.1988).

Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c), a district court may grant a motion for summary judgment if all of the information before the court demonstrates that “there is no genuine issue as to material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Poller v. Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 368 U.S. 464, 467, 82 S.Ct. 486, 488, 7 L.Ed.2d 458 (1962). The burden is on the [1550]*1550moving party. Mt. Pleasant, 838 F.2d at 273. After the moving party discharges this burden, the nonmoving party must do more than show that there is some doubt as to the facts. Matsushita Elec. Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1355-56, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Instead, the nonmoving party bears the burden of setting forth specific facts showing that there is sufficient evidence in its favor to allow a jury to return a verdict for it. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986); Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2553, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

In passing on a motion for summary judgment, the court must review the facts in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion and give that party the benefit of any inferences that logically can be drawn from those facts. Buller v. Buechler, 706 F.2d 844, 846 (8th Cir.1983). The court is required to resolve all conflicts of evidence in favor of the nonmoving party. Robert Johnson Grain Co. v. Chem. Interchange Co., 541 F.2d 207, 210 (8th Cir.1976). With these principles in mind, the Court turns to an examination of the facts.

Plaintiff alleges that he has been subjected to a continuing course of discriminatory conduct mainly attributed to his (former) immediate supervisor, Rick Brank. His complaint focuses upon thirteen (13) areas of racial discrimination. In Paragraph 9 of his complaint, plaintiff makes the following allegations:

(a) Defendant gave Plaintiff false performance evaluations.
(b) Defendant denied Plaintiff raises to which he was entitled by virtue of his performance.
(c) Defendant placed Plaintiff on a performance improvement program when his performance did not warrant such action.
(d) Defendant threatened to fire Plaintiff when his performance did not warrant termination.
(e) Defendant threatened Plaintiff with discharge when Plaintiffs conduct did not warrant discharge.
(f) Defendant demoted Plaintiff when his performance did not warrant demotion.
(g) Defendant assigned Plaintiff to a rural assignment where it knew or should have known that Plaintiff was not welcome because of his race and/or color.
(h) Defendant threatened Plaintiff with physical injury.
(i) Defendant subjected Plaintiff to racial name-calling.
(j) Defendant denied Plaintiff promotion to positions which were available and which he could have performed.
(k) Defendant refused to allow Plaintiff to hire employees when other employees in comparable positions were allowed to make such decisions.
(£) Defendant refused to allow Plaintiff to hire black persons, except in situations where the prospective employee would be assigned to a sales route that was predominantly black.
(m) Defendant has failed and refused to take action sufficient to remedy its unlawful conduct.

In his discovery responses, plaintiff provides a more detailed account of what he alleges to be the acts of racial discrimination perpetrated against him since July of 1987. In Paragraph 13 of his complaint, plaintiff alleges that he was subjected to the acts contained in Paragraph 9(f)—(Í) after complaining of possible racial discrimination. On March 3,1989 plaintiff was demoted from Regional Sales Manager to District Sales Manager. Although this “demotion” resulted in a change of duties and responsibilities, there was no loss in pay.

On July 31, 1989 plaintiff filed simultaneously a charge of discrimination with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Defendant’s Deposition (of Plaintiff) Exhibit ZZZ. Plaintiff checked only the box marked “race” in the section entitled CAUSE OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON. The substantive part of his charge reads as follows:

[1551]*1551I have been employed by KAS Snacktime Co. since 3/1/72. I was a Regional Manager from 6/2/86, until my demotion on 3/3/89. Beginning on or about 10/1/87 I was continually harassed by my immediate supervisor in thát I was reprimanded, rated unfairly, placed on probation and performance programs, subjected to different terms and conditions of employment from a White Regional Manager, and finally demoted.

As of today’s date, plaintiff remains employed with the defendant as a District Sales Manager.

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Related

George L. Gipson v. Kas Snacktime Company
83 F.3d 225 (Eighth Circuit, 1996)
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166 F.R.D. 415 (E.D. Missouri, 1996)

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874 F. Supp. 1548, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20731, 71 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1671, 1993 WL 763131, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gipson-v-kas-snacktime-co-moed-1993.