Guenther v. Emmons

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Washington
DecidedMay 26, 2023
Docket2:22-cv-00272
StatusUnknown

This text of Guenther v. Emmons (Guenther v. Emmons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Guenther v. Emmons, (E.D. Wash. 2023).

Opinion

1 2

3 4 5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 6

7 UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS NO. 2:22-CV-0272-TOR 8 UNION, LOCAL 3000, a non-profit corporation, UNITED FOOD AND ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ 9 COMMERCIAL WORKERS MOTION TO DISMISS UNION, LOCAL 1439, a non-profit 10 corporation, UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS 11 UNION, LOCAL 21, a non-profit corporation, and FAYE IRENE 12 GUENTHER, an individual,

13 Plaintiffs,

14 v.

15 JOSEPH H. EMMONS, individually and OSPREY FIELD CONSULTING 16 LLC, a limited liability company,

17 Defendants. 18 BEFORE THE COURT is Defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss 19 Complaint (ECF No. 9). This matter was submitted for consideration with oral 20 argument on May 24, 2023. James G. McGuinness and Aaron M. Streepy 1 appeared on behalf of Plaintiffs. Sara A. Fairchild appeared on behalf of 2 Defendants. The Court has reviewed the record and files herein, and is fully

3 informed. For the reasons discussed below, Defendants’ Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to 4 Dismiss Complaint (ECF No. 9) is denied. 5 BACKGROUND

6 This case concerns a union-related speech dispute. ECF No. 1-2. On March 7 2, 2022, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in Spokane County Superior Court, raising 8 claims for defamation and false light. ECF No. 1-2 at 10–12, ¶¶ 4.1–5.2. On 9 November 9, 2022, Defendants removed the action to this Court. ECF No. 1. The

10 following facts are drawn from Plaintiffs’ Complaint and are accepted as true for 11 the purposes of the present motion. Chavez v. United States, 683 F.3d 1102, 1108 12 (9th Cir. 2012).

13 The United Food and Commercial Workers (“UFCW”) International Union 14 requires local unions to request approval to begin formal discussions regarding the 15 merging of local unions. ECF No. 1-2 at 4, ¶ 3.1. On December 2, 2021, UFCW 16 International approved UFCW 21 and 1439’s request to engage in formal merger

17 conversations. Id., ¶ 3.3. 18 On December 14, 2021, UFCW’s 1439’s executive board met and approved 19 a motion to recommend the merger to the membership of the local union. Id., ¶

20 3.5. UFCW 1439 leadership began necessary preparation for a vote of the full 1 membership on the question of whether to merge with UFCW 21. Id. The same 2 day, UFCW’s 21’s executive board met and approved a motion to recommend the

3 merger to the membership of the local union. Id., ¶ 3.5. UFCW 21 leadership 4 began necessary preparation for a vote of the full membership on the question of 5 whether to merge with UFCW 1439. Id.

6 On December 15, 2021, UFCW 1439’s President, Eric Renner, received 7 reports from UFCW 1439 union members and staff that a flyer was being 8 circulated to grocery stores in the Spokane area. Id., ¶ 3.7. First, the flyer falsely 9 claimed that UFCW 21, UFCW 1439, and United Food and Commercial Workers

10 Local 367 as well as its officers and staff were engaged in payoffs and coverups. 11 Id. at 5, ¶ 3.8. Second, the flyer falsely claimed UFCW 21 President Faye 12 Guenther “helped former 367 President Angel Gonzalez cover up his harassment

13 charges and paid him off in exchange for installing her puppet, Mike Hines.” Id., ¶ 14 3.9. Third, the flyer falsely claimed that Ms. Guenther assisted Mr. Renner in 15 hiding from sexual harassment charges, falsely implying Mr. Renner was utilizing 16 the merger to avoid charges of sexual harassment. Id., ¶ 3.10. Finally, the flyer

17 stated: “OUR UNION SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT FOR US NOT 18 PROTECTING HARASSERS!” Id., ¶ 3.11. The flyer recommended a “NO” vote 19 on any merger. Id.

20 1 On December 16, 2021, UFCW 21 received reports of the flyers circulating 2 on social media by workers and members in the Puget Sound region of

3 Washington. Id., ¶ 3.12. Jessica Roach, a UFCW 367 member, reposted the flyer 4 on a member Facebook forum, initiating a conversation writing “Brothers and 5 Sisters … let’s talk.” Id. Roach stated the “flyer was mailed to Fred Meyer,

6 addressed to the shop steward, the store director, and two assistants (sic) managers. 7 … [UFCW 1439’s] President appears to be making a back door deal with Faye, 8 President of 21, in a desperate attempt to secure his employment. Also, much like 9 our previous President, Angel, their President, Eric Renner, is being sued for

10 sexual harassment. The evidence against him must be solid because this, as WE 11 KNOW, this is a desperate move. … I think this flyer is meant to alert of us (sic) 12 the corruption that is happening, perhaps, so we can start the conversation of how

13 to combat it.” Id. This post received dozens of comments and likes, and UFCW 14 21 and 3000 members asked questions about whether the claims were true. Id. 15 Flyers were mailed to grocery stores in Eastern Washington beginning on 16 December 13, 2021 and throughout December. Id. at 6, ¶ 3.14.

17 On January 8, 2022, Defendant Joseph Emmons entered Safeway and placed 18 the flyers at two employee work locations. Id. at 7, ¶¶ 3.22–3.23. Identical flyers 19 were reported and forwarded to UFCW 1439 from stores throughout the area. Id.,

20 ¶ 3.26. Due to the flyer distribution, UFCW 21 and 1439 moved staff from the 1 Seattle area to Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Eastern Oregon to 2 respond to the flyers. Id., ¶ 3.27.

3 In January and February 2022, Local 1439 and 21 conducted separate votes 4 of its membership and both Locals approved the merger. Id., ¶ 3.28. The merger 5 formed the new United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 3000,

6 effective March 1, 2022. Id. 7 Mr. Emmons is not, and has never been a member of UFCW 21, 367, nor 8 1439. Id. at 8, ¶¶¶ 3.31–3.33. Mr. Emmons and Osprey Field Consulting 9 benefited financially in distributing the flyers, either in the form of compensation

10 or wages for services rendered or goodwill to Osprey Field Consulting. Id., ¶ 3.34. 11 Defendants did not contact any of the unions to determine whether the allegations 12 within the communications were true prior to publishing the flyer. Id., ¶ 3.35. Mr.

13 Emmons distributed the flyers in Oregon and Washington, and Defendants had no 14 personal knowledge nor a good faith belief of the false factual statements 15 contained therein. Id. at 8–9, ¶¶ 3.36–3.50. Defendants took no steps to verify the 16 factual accuracy of the written statements in the flyers and Defendants intended

17 and knew the flyers were likely to harm Plaintiffs. Id., ¶¶ 3.51–3.58. Plaintiffs 18 suffered losses as a result of the defamatory statements in the form of investigation 19 costs, attorneys’ fees, the assignment of additional staff to address the flyers,

20 1 reimbursed expenses due to the diversion of staff, and reputational harm. Id. at 9– 2 10, ¶¶ 3.59–3.61.

3 DISCUSSION 4 I. Motion to Dismiss Standard 5 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) provides that a defendant may

6 move to dismiss the complaint for “failure to state a claim upon which relief can be 7 granted.” A motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim will be denied if the 8 plaintiff alleges “sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to 9 relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009)

10 (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)). 11 While the plaintiff’s “allegations of material fact are taken as true and 12 construed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff” the plaintiff cannot rely on

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly
550 U.S. 544 (Supreme Court, 2007)
Ashcroft v. Iqbal
556 U.S. 662 (Supreme Court, 2009)
Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins
592 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 2010)
Jose Chavez v. James Ziglar
683 F.3d 1102 (Ninth Circuit, 2012)
Dunlap v. Wayne
716 P.2d 842 (Washington Supreme Court, 1986)
Corbally v. Kennewick School District
973 P.2d 1074 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1999)
Vanhorne v. Dorrance
2 U.S. 304 (Supreme Court, 1795)
Eastwood v. Cascade Broadcasting Co.
722 P.2d 1295 (Washington Supreme Court, 1986)
Caruso v. Local Union No. 690
670 P.2d 240 (Washington Supreme Court, 1983)
Life Designs Ranch, Inc. v. Michael Sommer
364 P.3d 129 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2015)
Goodwin v. Castleton
144 P.2d 725 (Washington Supreme Court, 1944)
Smith v. Schade Brewing Co.
142 P. 455 (Washington Supreme Court, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Guenther v. Emmons, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guenther-v-emmons-waed-2023.