Horace Claiborne, Sonjia Monique Bowlin, Tyshawn Walker, Willie Seals, Frederick Eppich, Jerome Schoolfield, Kristina Travis, Jeremy Winkels, Daniel Forrester, Mark David Griffeth, Douglas Russell, Kenneth Burton, Gerald Gensoli, and Thomas Deppiesse, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated v. FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc.

District Court, D. Maryland·Decided October 14, 2025·No. 1:25-cv-03419·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

HORACE CLAIBORNE, SONJIA ) MONIQUE BOWLIN, TYSHAWN ) WALKER, WILLIE SEALS, FREDERICK ) EPPICH, JEROME SCHOOLFIELD, ) 2:18-cv-01698-RJC KRISTINA TRAVIS, JEREMY WINKELS, ) DANIEL FORRESTER, MARK DAVID ) GRIFFETH, DOUGLAS RUSSELL, ) KENNETH BURTON, GERALD ) GENSOLI, and THOMAS DEPPIESSE, on ) behalf of themselves and others similarly ) situated, ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) vs. ) ) FEDEX GROUND PACKAGE SYSTEMS, ) INC., ) ) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION Robert J. Colville, United States District Judge Before the Court is the “Motion to Dismiss Certain State Law Claims” (the “Motion to Dismiss”) (ECF No. 305) filed by Defendant FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. (“FedEx”). The present case is a hybrid collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and Rule 23 class action brought under the laws of fourteen states by the named Plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and other similarly situated individuals (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) against FedEx for FedEx’s alleged failure to pay requisite overtime compensation to Plaintiffs. The Court has jurisdiction in this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The Motion to Dismiss has been fully briefed and is ripe for disposition. I. Factual Background & Procedural History As this Court has noted in previous opinions in this case, Plaintiffs assert that they were employed by FedEx through intermediary employers1 to perform delivery services on FedEx’s behalf. First Am. Compl. ¶ 35, ECF No. 297. Plaintiffs further assert that FedEx has violated the

FLSA by not paying overtime compensation to Plaintiffs for all hours worked over forty each week. Id. Because the Court writes primarily for the benefit of the parties and has set forth the factual background and procedural history of this matter at length in its previous opinions, the Court foregoes a detailed recitation of the factual background and procedural history in this Memorandum Opinion. In its Motion to Dismiss, FedEx moves to dismiss seven of the state law claims (Counts 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 12) set forth in Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint (the “Complaint”) (ECF No. 297) pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Respectively, these Counts assert claims for unpaid overtime compensation under the laws of Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. FedEx asserts that each of these claims fails

as a matter of law because the Named Plaintiffs asserting these claims are not entitled to overtime pay under the laws of their respective home states because the state statutes at issue expressly exempt Plaintiffs or FedEx from the state’s overtime requirements. Mot. to Dismiss 1, ECF No. 305. FedEx argues that, because the plain language of the state statutes at issue precludes Counts 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 12, amendment would be futile, and dismissal should be with prejudice. Id. Plaintiffs oppose the Motion to Dismiss. Plaintiffs assert that the Motion to Dismiss should be denied for two reasons: “(1) the remedial wage statutes at issue should be construed broadly in

1 These intermediary employers are companies that entered into contracts with FedEx to provide delivery and pickup services on FedEx’s behalf and are referred to as Independent Service Providers (ISPs) and Contracted Service Providers (CSPs) in the record. The distinction between ISPs and CSPs is not relevant to this Court’s consideration of the Motion to Dismiss. favor of coverage, particularly at the pleading stage; and (2) Plaintiffs’ state law claims are properly pled in the alternative to their [FLSA] claims.” Br. in Opp’n 2, ECF No. 310. By way of Memorandum Opinion (ECF No. 295) and Order (ECF No. 296) dated August 12, 2021, the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion for Leave to File Amended Complaint (ECF No.

235). Plaintiffs then filed the Complaint on August 24, 2021. FedEx filed the Motion to Dismiss, along with a Brief in Support (ECF No. 306) on September 7, 2021. Plaintiffs filed a Brief in Opposition (ECF No. 310) on September 28, 2021, and FedEx filed a Reply (ECF No. 314) on October 5, 2021. II. Legal Standard A motion to dismiss filed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) tests the legal sufficiency of the complaint. Kost v. Kozakiewicz, 1 F.3d 176, 183 (3d Cir. 1993). In deciding a motion to dismiss, the court is not opining on whether the plaintiff will likely prevail on the merits; rather, when considering a motion to dismiss, the court accepts as true all well-pled factual allegations in the complaint and views them in a light most favorable to the plaintiff. U.S.

Express Lines Ltd. v. Higgins, 281 F.3d 383, 388 (3d Cir. 2002). While a complaint does not need detailed factual allegations to survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a complaint must provide more than labels and conclusions. Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007). A “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Id. (citing Papasan v. Allain, 478 U.S. 265, 286 (1986)). “To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 554 (2007)). “A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556). The Supreme Court of the United States has explained: The plausibility standard is not akin to a “probability requirement,” but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Where a complaint pleads facts that are “merely consistent with” a defendant’s liability, it “stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of ‘entitlement to relief.’”

Id. (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556) (internal citations omitted). The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit instructs that “a court reviewing the sufficiency of a complaint must take three steps.” Connelly v. Lane Constr. Corp., 809 F.3d 780, 787 (3d Cir. 2016). The court explained: First, it must “tak[e] note of the elements [the] plaintiff must plead to state a claim.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 675. Second, it should identify allegations that, “because they are no more than conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” Id. at 679; see also Burtch v. Milberg Factors, Inc., 662 F.3d 212, 224 (3d Cir. 2011) (“Mere restatements of the elements of a claim are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” (citation and editorial marks omitted)). Finally, “[w]hen there are well- pleaded factual allegations, [the] court should assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679.

Connelly, 809 F.3d at 787. “Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief will . . .

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Horace Claiborne, Sonjia Monique Bowlin, Tyshawn Walker, Willie Seals, Frederick Eppich, Jerome Schoolfield, Kristina Travis, Jeremy Winkels, Daniel Forrester, Mark David Griffeth, Douglas Russell, Kenneth Burton, Gerald Gensoli, and Thomas Deppiesse, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated v. FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc., (D. Md. 2025).

Horace Claiborne, Sonjia Monique Bowlin, Tyshawn Walker, Willie Seals, Frederick Eppich, Jerome Schoolfield, Kristina Travis, Jeremy Winkels, Daniel Forrester, Mark David Griffeth, Douglas Russell, Kenneth Burton, Gerald Gensoli, and Thomas Deppiesse, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated v. FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc. (Horace Claiborne, Sonjia Monique Bowlin, Tyshawn Walker, Willie Seals, Frederick Eppich, Jerome Schoolfield, Kristina Travis, Jeremy Winkels, Daniel Forrester, Mark David Griffeth, Douglas Russell, Kenneth Burton, Gerald Gensoli, and Thomas Deppiesse, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated v. FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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