Haddad v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP

982 F. Supp. 2d 825, 2013 WL 6009918, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161786, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1116
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 13, 2013
DocketNo. 2:12-00102
StatusPublished

This text of 982 F. Supp. 2d 825 (Haddad v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Haddad v. Wal-Mart Stores East, LP, 982 F. Supp. 2d 825, 2013 WL 6009918, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161786, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1116 (M.D. Pa. 2013).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

KEVIN H. SHARP, District Judge.

The issue presented by Defendant WalMart’s pending Partial Motion to Dismiss or for Summary Judgment is whether Plaintiff can expand a national origin disparate treatment charge before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, to a disparate impact claim in this Court based upon a preemployment test. Under the factual circumstances of this case, the Court finds that he cannot, grants WalMart’s Motion, and dismisses Plaintiffs disparate impact claim.

I.

In the spring of 2011, Plaintiff, who claims to be a permanent resident of Syrian decent, filed an application for work at a Wal-Mart located in Crossville, Tennes[826]*826see. As a part of the application process, Plaintiff took Walmart’s Retail Pre-Employment Assessment test. Plaintiff was not hired.

On October 11, 2011, Plaintiff filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and the EEOC, alleging race and national origin discrimination. Plaintiff checked the “race” and “national origin” discrimination boxes on the charge, and wrote that he believed discrimination occurred “because of my name.”

Included with the charge was a two-page type-written letter penned by Plaintiff. The letter did not discuss or mention Wal-Mart’s RPEA test, or allege or suggest that the test has a disparate impact on persons of a specific national origin or race. Further, neither the charge or the letter mentioned any employment policies of Wal-Mart.

The THRC, as is standard course, investigated Plaintiffs allegation and, in doing so, requested a statement of position from Wal-Mart, and copies of pertinent rules, policies or procedures. Wal-Mart responded that Plaintiff was not hired because his score on the RPEA test — an allegedly facially neutral hiring policy— was too low, making him “not competitive.” (Docket No. 41-1 at 2).

Subsequently, the THRC sent an e-mail, requesting that Wal-Mart provide Plaintiffs score on the test, a copy of the test (if available), and a breakdown for Tier 1 and Tier 2 scores.1 In response, Wal-Mart provided Plaintiffs test score range. It did not provide his exact score or the actual test, claiming that the request sought “highly confidential [and] proprietary information.” (Docket No. 41-2 at 2).

On July 12, 2012, the THRC issued its Notice of Determination, stating “[examination of the evidence indicates that there is no reasonable cause to believe that the respondent has engaged in discriminatory practice” and forwarded the same to the EEOC. The EEOC adopted the findings of the THRC and, on August 18, 2012, issued a Dismissal and Notice of Rights to Sue.

Plaintiff, then proceeding pro se, filed his Complaint in this Court on October 31, 2012, claiming that Wal-Mart was “in violation” of the THRA and the “equal employment opportunity and anti discrimanation [sic] laws.” (Docket No. 1 at 1). Plaintiff also wrote in the form Complaint, that a Wal-Mart associate told him “they will not hire you because of your name.” (Id. at 2).

On June 5, 2013, Plaintiff, now represented by counsel, filed an Amended Complaint in two Counts. In Count 1, Plaintiff claims disparate treatment, alleging that he was not hired by Wal-Mart because of his “middle-eastern national origin.” (Docket No. 32, Am. Comp. ¶ 19). In Count 2, Plaintiff claims disparate impact, alleging that Wal-mart’s pre-employment screening test “adversely impacts” those of “middle-eastern national origin.” (Id. ¶ 2). Wal-Mart moves for dismissal of Count 2 because Plaintiff allegedly did not exhaust administrative remedies with respect to a disparate impact claim.

II.

“As a general rule, a Title VII plaintiff cannot bring claims in a lawsuit that were not included in his EEOC charge.” Youn[827]*827is v. Pinnacle Airlines, Inc., 610 F.3d 359, 361 (6th Cir.2010). “This rule serves the dual purpose of giving the employer information concerning the conduct about which the employee complains, as well as affording the EEOC and the employer an opportunity to settle the dispute through conference, conciliation, and persuasion.” Id.

The Sixth Circuit has “cautioned, however, that an EEOC charge ‘filed by lay complainants’ should be ‘liberally construed’ ... because they ‘are unschooled in the technicalities of the law and proceed without counsel.’ ” Tisdale v. Fed. Exp. Carp., 415 F.3d 516, 527 (6th Cir.2005) (internal citation omitted) (quoting, Haithcock v. Frank, 958 F.2d 671, 675 (6th Cir.1992) and Ang v. Procter & Gamble Co., 932 F.2d 540, 547 (6th Cir.1991)). As a consequence, “[ajctions in federal court ‘should not be restricted by the failure of a complainant to attach the correct legal conclusion to the EEOC claim, conform to procedural technicalities, or include the exact wording which might be required in a judicial pleading.’ ” Id. (quoting, Davis v. Sodexho, Cumberland Coll. Cafeteria, 157 F.3d 460, 463 (6th Cir.1998)). Instead, “the EEOC complaint should be liberally construed to encompass all claims ‘reasonably expected to grow out of the charge of discrimination,” Randolph v. Ohio Dept. of Youth Serv., 453 F.3d 724, 732 (6th Cir. 2006) (citation omitted), and “[w]hen facts related with respect to the charged claim would prompt the EEOC to investigate a different, uncharged claim, the plaintiff is not precluded from bringing suit on that claim.” Younis, 610 F.3d at 362 (quoting Davis, 157 F.3d at 463).

III.

In opposition to Wal-Mart’s Motion, Plaintiff relies upon the Sixth Circuit decision in Weigel v. Baptist Hosp., 302 F.3d 367 (6th Cir.2002), and the Second Circuit decision in Gomes v. Avco Corp., 964 F.2d 1330 (2nd Cir.1992). However, in the context of this case, Weigel is not controlling precedent, and Gomes is not persuasive authority.

In Weigel, plaintiff, a nurse at Baptist Hospital in Knoxville, resigned her position without giving the required two-week notice, and in her exit questionnaire raised several complaints, including age discrimination. Months later, she reapplied for employment, but was not hired, ostensibly because she did not give the requisite notice.

Subsequently, Plaintiff filed an EEOC charge, on which she checked the box on the form for “Age,” but not the box marked “Retaliation.” In deciding that the retaliation claim could proceed, the Sixth Circuit wrote:

... The facts supporting Weigel’s retaliation claim emerged from the nondiscriminatory explanation advanced by [Baptist] for its refusal to rehire her.

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Pacheco v. Mineta
448 F.3d 783 (Fifth Circuit, 2006)
Younis v. Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.
610 F.3d 359 (Sixth Circuit, 2010)
Betty Weigel v. Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee
302 F.3d 367 (Sixth Circuit, 2002)
Richard Tisdale v. Federal Express Corp.
415 F.3d 516 (Sixth Circuit, 2005)
Dr. Grace Farrell v. Butler University
421 F.3d 609 (Seventh Circuit, 2005)
Donna Randolph v. Ohio Department of Youth Services
453 F.3d 724 (Sixth Circuit, 2006)
Mirna Serrano v. Cintas Corporation
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195 F.3d 828 (Sixth Circuit, 1999)
Gomes v. Avco Corp.
964 F.2d 1330 (Second Circuit, 1992)

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982 F. Supp. 2d 825, 2013 WL 6009918, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161786, 120 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haddad-v-wal-mart-stores-east-lp-pamd-2013.