Gressett v. Southwest Airlines Co.

216 F. Supp. 3d 743, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145211, 2016 WL 6124214
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedOctober 20, 2016
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. 16-1272
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 216 F. Supp. 3d 743 (Gressett v. Southwest Airlines Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gressett v. Southwest Airlines Co., 216 F. Supp. 3d 743, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145211, 2016 WL 6124214 (E.D. La. 2016).

Opinion

SECTION F

ORDER AND REASONS

MARTIN L. C. FELDMAN, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court is Southwest Airlines Co.’s motion for summary judgment on all claims. For the reasons that follow, the motion is GRANTED.

Background

The plaintiffs in this litigation are suing, both literally and metaphorically, over peanuts. On February 14, 2014, Andrew Gres-[746]*746sett, Bam Gressett, and their minor son A.G. were the first passengers to pre-board Southwest Flight No. 3006, set to depart from New Orleans to Los Angeles with a brief stop in Houston. The Gres-setts were planning to visit Legoland in celebration of A.G.’s birthday before traveling down coast to San Diego to visit with family friends.1

Upon embarking, Andrew Gressett began searching for a row of seats that would accommodate his recent back injury while allowing him to sit with his family. He found three suitable seats in the second row only to allegedly discover a flight attendant identified only as “Kelly” sitting in the center seat, eating and reading a magazine. According to the plaintiffs, Kelly “stormed off’ in a huff as they approached the row. Kelly purportedly told another flight attendant, “I guess I need to move before he [Mr. Gressett] runs me over.” As Mr. Gressett placed his family’s carry-on luggage in an overhead bin, the plaintiffs assert, Kelly again “stormed” to the front of the aircraft and told the passenger behind the plaintiffs, “You can come in if this person [Mr. Gressett] moves out of the aisle.” Mr. Gressett retorted that he and his family would already have been seated had Kelly not been sitting in their chosen row. The plaintiffs thereafter settled into their seats, with Mr. Gressett taking the aisle, Mrs. Gressett sitting in the middle, and A.G. opting for the window seat.

Once in the air, Kelly began distributing bags of peanuts to passengers. The plaintiffs allege that when Kelly reached their row, she “forcefully pushed” bags of peanuts into Mr. Gressett’s hands before throwing “four to six” bags at his face and torso. Mr. Gressett then complained to his wife of Kelly’s “Southwest White Trash Professional Behavior.”

When she heard this remark, Kelly warned the plaintiffs, “If you don’t watch your language, security will be waiting for you when you land.” Although the plaintiffs’ original complaint characterizes Kelly’s warning as a loud proclamation, they later admitted that she leaned in and spoke to them quietly, as if to prevent other passengers from eavesdropping. Neither of the plaintiffs could confirm that anyone else heard Kelly’s comment.

The plaintiffs assert that, on at least two other occasions during the flight, Kelly bumped Mr. Gressett with her hip. During their depositions, however, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Gressett could testify with certainty that Kelly intended the contact.2 Mr. Gres-sett even realistically acknowledged that inadvertent contact with flight attendants “inevitably” occurs on crowded flights.

Although the rest of the flight proceeded without incident, the plaintiffs claim that the fear of arrest and detention engendered by Kelly’s threat beset them until they landed and disembarked in Los Ange-les. The vacation unfolded as planned, but residual distress from the incident on the flight apparently prevented Mr. and Mrs. Gressett from enjoying themselves. They claim to have been upset for as many as 10 days after the flight. But neither Mr. Gres-sett nor Mrs. Gressett sought medical treatment for their alleged emotional anguish. A.G. suffered no discernible effects of the flight that so tormented his parents.

[747]*747On March 19, 2015, Mr. Gressett wrote to Southwest President Gary Kelly urging him to investigate the flight attendant Kelly’s behavior and threatening litigation. In its response on March 31, 2015, Southwest commented that its reports differed from the plaintiffs’ allegations, but pledged to handle the situation internally. On February 13, 2016, the plaintiffs filed this lawsuit, invoking this Court’s diversity subject matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. The complaint alleges that, within the course and scope of her employment with Southwest, Kelly engaged in intentional and negligent conduct which resulted in severe emotional distress. According to the plaintiffs, Kelly’s peanut hurling, hip checking, and threat of arrest constituted assault and defamation. The complaint further accuses Southwest of direct negligence in failing to prevent the incident or intervene, as well as in its hiring, training, and supervision of Kelly. Finally, the complaint seeks to hold Southwest liable for “any and all other acts of negligence and/or carelessness” that come tó light. Southwest now seeks summary judgment dismissing the plaintiffs’ claims.

Discussion

I.

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 instructs that summary judgment is proper if the record discloses no genuine dispute as to any material fact such that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. No genuine dispute of fact exists if the record taken as a whole could not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the non-moving party. See Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). A genuine dispute of fact exists only “if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The mere argued existence of a factual dispute does not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion. See id. Ultimately, “[i]f the evidence is merely colorable ... or is not significantly probative,” summary judgment is appropriate. Id. at 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (citations omitted); see also Hathaway v. Bazany, 507 F.3d 312, 319 (5th Cir. 2007)(internal quotation marks and citation omitted) (“[T]he nonmoving party cannot defeat summary judgment with conclusory allegations, unsubstantiated assertions, or only a scintilla of evidence.”).

Summary judgment is also proper if the party opposing the motion fails to establish an essential element of a claim. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In this regard, the non-moving party must adduce competent evidence, including but not limited to sworn affidavits and depositions, to buttress his claims. See Donaghey v. Ocean Drilling & Exploration Co., 974 F.2d 646, 649 (5th Cir. 1992). However, affidavits or pleadings which contradict earlier deposition testimony cannot create a genuine issue of material fact sufficient to preclude an entry of summary judgment. See S.W.S. Erectors, Inc. v. Infax, Inc., 72 F.3d 489, 495 (5th Cir. 1996); Thurman v.

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Bluebook (online)
216 F. Supp. 3d 743, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145211, 2016 WL 6124214, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gressett-v-southwest-airlines-co-laed-2016.