Haymer v. Racine Family YMCA

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJune 22, 2022
Docket2:20-cv-01846
StatusUnknown

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

Bluebook
Haymer v. Racine Family YMCA, (E.D. Wis. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN

NAKEYDA HAYMER,

Plaintiff,

v. Case No. 20-CV-1846

RACINE FAMILY YMCA,

Defendant.

DECISION AND ORDER

1. Facts and Procedural History Racine County contracted with Racine Family YMCA to create and run Racine’s Credible Messenger Program. (ECF Nos. 29, ¶ 11; 31, ¶¶ 1, 9.) The Credible Messenger

1 The plaintiff correctly notes that, inconsistent with Civil Local Rule 56(b)(1)(C)(i), the YMCA’s proposed findings of fact often include multiple factual assertions in a single numbered paragraph. (ECF No. 29 at 1.) This has needlessly complicated the plaintiff’s task in responding and the court’s review of the proposed findings of fact. But compound facts are most problematic when they are used as a means to circumvent the court’s limit of 150 proposed findings of fact. See Pollock v. ManpowerGroup US, Inc., No. 18-CV-107, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 199665, at *9 (E.D. Wis. Nov. 18, 2019). Because it does not appear that the YMCA’s proposed findings of fact would exceed 150 if they had been properly presented, the court declines to take any action with respect to this violation of the Local Rules. The defendant also failed to comply with Civil Local Rule 56(b)(6). “Assertions of fact in the parties’ supporting memoranda must refer to the corresponding numbered paragraph of the statement of facts, statement of additional facts, or statement of stipulated facts.” Civ. L.R. 56(b)(6). This procedure is required to permit the court to easily assess whether the factual assertion is disputed. See Joyce v. Milwaukee Cylinder, No. 18-CV-1790, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 172349, at *16 n.1 (E.D. Wis. Sep. 21, 2020). Consequently, the unsupported factual assertions in the YMCA’s briefs are disregarded. The court instead relies on the YMCA’s proposed findings of fact. Program is a mentoring program to assist children involved in the justice system to change the attitudes and behaviors that led to their criminal activity. (ECF Nos. 29, ¶ 1;

31, ¶ 2.) At all times relevant to this dispute, Ahmad Qawi was the Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA (ECF No. 31, ¶ 7) and the person responsible for the administration of the

Credible Messenger Program (ECF No. 31, ¶ 10). He hired men he knew from the YMCA for the program. His first hire was Damian Dolley to supervise the program. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 11-14.) Qawi also hired Derrick Seay and Tyrell Davis as Credible Messengers and

paid them $17 per hour. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 15-19, 26.) Qawi also hired Justin Lambert as a Credible Messenger, who was paid “more than $15 per hour.” (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 16, 26, 81.) Qawi knew all of these men for several years before hiring them as Credible Messengers. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 17, 20, 23.)

Dolley learned that Nakeyda Haymer was interested in the program and after meeting with her offered her the position of Credible Messenger. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 29, 31- 34.) Dolley subsequently told Haymer that Qawi required that she interview for the

position first. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 38.) This turned out to be a group interview where Haymer and three other male candidates were interviewed collectively by Dolley, Seay, Lambert, and Davis. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 40-41.) During the interview the candidates were told that the person chosen for the position would attend training in Maryland on January 24, 2019. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 42.) Haymer was chosen unanimously. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 43.) She was paid $14 per hour. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 96.)

When Haymer inquired about the Maryland trip, she says Dolley told her he had to check with Qawi because he was not sure if it was a “men-only” trip. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 48.) Dolley later told her to not worry about the trip because “[i]t’s just the men.” (ECF

No. 31, ¶ 49.) Haymer was not permitted to go on the Maryland trip, but two of the men who interviewed at the same time she did and who she beat out for the position went on the trip because, although they were not hired, they still wanted to volunteer for the

Credible Messenger Program. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 51, 54.) Haymer began working part-time for the YMCA on January 31, 2019. (ECF No. 29, ¶ 2.) She worked as a Credible Messenger in the mornings. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 60.) When she expressed that she wanted more hours, the YMCA gave her a second part-time position,

with its Focus on Fathers Program that she could do in the afternoons. (ECF No. 29, ¶ 7.) In her role with Focus on Fathers she was given discretion to create her own position and job title and to run her own women’s group. (ECF No. 29, ¶ 8; 22-3 at 18, 68:23-69:3.)

Because the Credible Messenger Program was just being developed, no children were yet involved, and the members of the Credible Messenger Program generally spent their mornings in group meetings, brainstorming and planning how they wanted to operate the program. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 95, 99.) After Haymer returned from Washington,

D.C., where the YMCA sent her to learn about its Credible Messenger Program (ECF No. 29, ¶ 15), she allegedly expressed strong views that the Racine program should operate more like the D.C. program. (ECF No. 29, ¶ 11.) According to the YMCA, this led to her

refusing to listen to Dolley and responding angrily when he did not adopt her ideas. (ECF No. 29, ¶ 11.) Dolley found Haymer’s behavior “cancerous,” and he reminded her that he was the supervisor. (ECF No. 26-2 at 15-18.)

According to Qawi and Dolley, during a meeting with the Credible Messenger Program team Haymer called the YMCA’s Director, Quincy Harrison, a liar. (ECF Nos. 29, ¶ 12; 22-3 at 22, 85:10-13; 22-2 at 20-21, 77:25-78:4.) Shortly after this incident, on March

15, 2019, Haymer met with Qawi to discuss the different roles she felt she was performing at the YMCA. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 67.) She told Qawi that she had three positions—Credible Messenger, Family Engagement Specialist, and Focus on Fathers. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 68.) Qawi allegedly responded that she was not a “Credible Messenger” but was only

working within the program. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 71.) According to Haymer, Qawi told her she could work as a Credible Messenger only if there were girls in the program and she would work only with girls. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 72,

74.) Haymer told him that he was wrong and that she could work as a Credible Messenger with boys. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 75.) Qawi reportedly responded, “I’m the boss, and that’s how it’s going to be,” and she could resign if she did not like it. (ECF No. 31, ¶¶ 73, 76.) Haymer told Qawi that she did not believe what he was doing was legal because she was being treated differently because she was a woman. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 77.) Dolley later told Haymer that a woman could work with boys as a Credible Messenger. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 78.)

Five days later, Qawi fired Haymer. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 100.) He did not review her personnel file before firing her. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 103.) Nor did he follow the YMCA’s progressive discipline policy in firing her. (ECF No. 31, ¶ 104.)

Haymer filed this action on December 14, 2020, alleging that the YMCA violated Title VII by “maintaining a company policy that discriminates on the basis of gender,” “discriminating against Haymer in the terms and conditions of her employment based

upon her gender,” “discriminating against Haymer based upon her gender with respect to her compensation,” “discriminating against Haymer by terminating her employment because of her gender,” and “terminating Haymer’s employment because she opposed discrimination in the workplace.” (ECF No. 1, ¶¶ 39-43.)

Both sides have moved for summary judgment. (ECF Nos. 19, 23.) Those motions are now ready for resolution. The court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. In accordance with 28 U.S.C.

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Haymer v. Racine Family YMCA, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haymer-v-racine-family-ymca-wied-2022.