Harmouche v. Consulate Gen. of Qatar

313 F. Supp. 3d 815
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedJune 12, 2018
DocketCIVIL ACTION NO. H–17–3698
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 313 F. Supp. 3d 815 (Harmouche v. Consulate Gen. of Qatar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harmouche v. Consulate Gen. of Qatar, 313 F. Supp. 3d 815 (S.D. Tex. 2018).

Opinion

SIM LAKE, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

*818Plaintiff Gus Harmouche, ("Harmouche" or "Plaintiff") brings this action against defendant Consulate General of the State of Qatar ("Consulate General" or "Defendant") asserting claims for age and religious discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.1 Pending before the court is The Consulate General of the State of Qatar's Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Complaint ("Defendant's Motion to Dismiss") (Docket Entry No. 12). For the reasons stated below, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss will be denied.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Plaintiff began working for the Defendant in 1997 as a public relations manager.2 During his 19 years of employment Plaintiff worked for six Consul Generals and multiple Vice Consuls.3 As public relations manager he drafted press releases, planned community events, and performed other administrative tasks.4 Plaintiff alleges that in 2013 or 2014 the Consul General, Mohammed Al-Homaid, changed Plaintiff's job duties from public relations tasks to "answering the phone, being a backup driver sometimes, opening the office door for him, opening the car door for him, making copies, and serving coffee."5 Plaintiff states that Al-Homaid told Plaintiff that he was too old for the job and that another employee unofficially assumed Plaintiff's public relations duties.6 The Vice Consul of the Consulate General of the State of Qatar, Khaled Al Sulaiti, states that the Consul General did not change Plaintiff's job duties but that his duties "were only those duties necessary to fulfilling his job responsibilities as the Public Relations Manager."7 Plaintiff also alleges that Mr. Al-Homaid repeatedly harassed Plaintiff about his age and his religion when he refused to participate in Muslim prayers.8 Plaintiff alleges that when he was terminated from employment in June of 2016, Mr. Al-Homaid "directly stated that it was because of Plaintiff's age."9

Plaintiff filed this action on December 6, 2017, and Defendant filed its Motion to Dismiss on April 30, 3018. Plaintiff filed a response to Defendant's motion in which he attaches his affidavit.10 Defendant filed a reply and a competing affidavit by Mr. Al Sulaiti.11

*819II. Standard of Review

Defendant filed its Motion to Dismiss "[p]ursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2)" arguing that the court lacks personal jurisdiction over Defendant, the Consulate General.12 However, because Defendant argues that it is immune from the court's jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA"), the substance of Defendant's argument raises a question under Rule 12(b)(1), dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The court therefore will analyze Defendant's motion under the Rule 12(b)(1) standard.

A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction

"Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction." Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, 511 U.S. 375, 114 S.Ct. 1673, 1675, 128 L.Ed.2d 391 (1994). A party may assert the defense of lack of subject matter jurisdiction in a Rule 12(b)(1) motion. " 'A case is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when the court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate the case.' " Home Builders Association of Mississippi, Inc. v. City of Madison, Mississippi, 143 F.3d 1006, 1010 (5th Cir. 1998). The burden of establishing federal jurisdiction rests with the party asserting its existence. DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. 332, 126 S.Ct. 1854, 1861 n.3, 164 L.Ed.2d 589 (2006).

"Courts may dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction on any one of three different bases: (1) the complaint alone; (2) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts in the record; or (3) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts plus the court's resolution of disputed facts." Clark v. Tarrant County, Texas, 798 F.2d 736, 741 (5th Cir. 1986). Rule 12(b)(1) challenges to subject matter jurisdiction come in two forms: "facial" attacks and "factual" attacks. See Paterson v. Weinberger, 644 F.2d 521, 523 (5th Cir. 1981). A facial attack consists of a Rule 12(b)(1) motion unaccompanied by supporting evidence that challenges the court's jurisdiction based solely on the pleadings. Id. A factual attack challenges the existence of subject matter jurisdiction in fact, irrespective of the pleadings, and matters outside the pleadings-such as testimony and affidavits-may be considered. Id. Because the parties have each submitted evidence outside the pleadings, the Defendant's Motion to Dismiss is a factual attack, and the court will consider the evidence in the record, resolving any disputed facts.

B. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act

The FSIA provides "the sole basis for obtaining jurisdiction over a foreign state in [United States] courts." Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp., 488 U.S. 428, 109 S.Ct.

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313 F. Supp. 3d 815, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harmouche-v-consulate-gen-of-qatar-txsd-2018.