Jarmon, D. v. The Convent of the Sisters

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 11, 2020
Docket3301 EDA 2019
StatusUnpublished

This text of Jarmon, D. v. The Convent of the Sisters (Jarmon, D. v. The Convent of the Sisters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jarmon, D. v. The Convent of the Sisters, (Pa. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

J-S24016-20

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

DELTHEIA JARMON IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellant

v.

THE CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH VILLA D/B/A ST. JOSEPH VILLA

Appellee No. 3301 EDA 2019

Appeal from the Order Entered October 8, 2019 In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County Civil Division at No.: No. 2017-18288

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., STABILE, J., and STRASSBURGER, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY STABILE, J.: FILED AUGUST 11, 2020

Appellant Deltheia Jarmon appeals from the October 8, 2019 order of

the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County (“trial court”), which

granted the motion for summary judgment of Appellee, The Convent of the

Sisters of St. Joseph Villa d/b/a St. Joseph Villa, and dismissed Appellant’s

disability discrimination claim under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act

(“PHRA”), 43 P.S. § 951 et seq. Upon review, we affirm.

The facts and procedural history of this case are undisputed.1 On February

6, 2009, Appellee hired Appellant as a part-time certified nursing assistant

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. 1 Unless otherwise specified, these facts come from the trial court’s January 3, 2020 opinion. See Trial Court Opinion, 1/3/20, at 1-5. J-S24016-20

(“CNA”). The physical demands of the CNA job position included, but were

not limited to the following:

 Heavy to moderate physical effort

o Lift/carry up to 50 lbs

 Balance of sedentary/mobility work

o Frequent kneeling/stooping/crouching/reaching/bending

o Frequently moves/lifts/ supplies or equipment

o Frequently transfers and repositions residents

At all times relevant hereto, these physical demands remained unchanged,

and Appellant was aware of these requirements for her job. Appellee also

employed individuals as medication technicians: a hybrid position that

requires the employee to perform all of the tasks of a CNA with the added

responsibility of distributing medications under the guidance of a nurse.

During Appellant’s employment with Appellee, Appellant was given an

employee handbook, which she acknowledged receiving and understanding.

In the handbook, the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) policy provided that:

An eligible employee can request and receive up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave (either taken in blocks of time or intermittently) during any rolling 12 -month period, measured backward from when the FML is sought to be taken, for one or more of the following reasons . . . [b]ecause of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the position of such employee.

-2- J-S24016-20

Reproduced Record (R.R.) at 93a. Appellee’s employment handbook also set

forth its leave of absence policy (“LOA policy”) which was in effect during

Appellant’s employment. The LOA policy provides in pertinent part:

A Leave of Absence is unpaid and can last for up to 3 months. If necessary, after three months’ time, the employee may request an extension, for up to an additional three months. Any combination of Family and Medical Leave and Leave of Absence may not exceed 6 months unless authorized by Administration.

At the conclusion of the leave period, an employee who has been absent due to illness or disability must submit a physician’s certification that he/she can return to work, full duty.

Efforts will be made to maintain the employee’s position, when possible. Due to [St. Joseph Villa’s] needs and available personnel there can be no guarantee that the same position will be available upon return to work.

Id. at 94a. On May 8, 2014, Appellant was absent from work and

subsequently submitted a doctor’s note from Drexel University College of

Medicine that stated that Appellant needed to be excused from work until May

31, 2014. On May 9, 2014, the Human Resources (“HR”) Department of

Appellee provided Appellant with the appropriate FMLA forms to apply for

FMLA qualifying leave of absence. On May 15, 2014, Appellant provided

Appellee with the FMLA Certification of Healthcare Provider signed by

Appellant’s healthcare provider. This form certified that Appellant was unable

to perform any job function due to her health condition and would not return

to work until May 31, 2014.

On May 31, 2014, Appellant did not return to work as estimated by her

doctor. Appellee received a doctor’s note from Appellant on June 16, 2014,

-3- J-S24016-20

stating that Appellant still was incapacitated until July 31, 2014. Appellee

extended Appellant’s leave to the maximum allowable under the FMLA at

twelve weeks or until approximately July 31, 2014. On July 31, 2014, the end

of Appellant’s FMLA leave, Appellant did not return to work. On August 12,

2014, Appellee’s HR Department contacted Appellant and informed her that in

light of the expiration of her FMLA leave, Appellant could apply for a personal

leave of absence to extend her leave of absence by the maximum allowable

extension, an additional three months. That same day, Appellee provided

Appellant with an LOA request form; this form was signed by Appellant and

returned to Appellee on August 14, 2014. The LOA form provided in relevant

part:

Due to [St. Joseph Villa’s] needs and available personnel there can be no guarantee that the same position, or any position, will be available when I am able to return to work.

I also realize that failure to report to Human Resource and/or my Department Head prior to, or on my schedule date of return will result in immediate termination of my employment at Saint Joseph Villa.

R.R. at 115a. On October 27, 2014, Appellee’s HR Department contacted

Appellant to inform her that Appellant’s maximum leave of absence of six

months was due to expire in the coming week. Appellant was not able to

return to work and did not provide Appellee with an estimated return to work

date. Furthermore, Appellant failed to provide Appellee with any medical

documentation that cleared her to return to work in any capacity. On March

31, 2015, more than ten months after Appellant ceased to come to work and

-4- J-S24016-20

five months after Appellant’s personal leave of absence expired, Appellant was

removed from Appellee’s active employee list.

On July 14, 2017, Appellant initiated the instant civil action against

Appellee. On October 3, 2017, Appellant filed the “Second Amended

Complaint,” asserting a single claim for disability discrimination under the

PHRA. On October 20, 2017, Appellee filed an answer and new matter.

Following the close of discovery, on June 24, 2019, Appellee moved for

summary judgment, alleging, inter alia, that Appellant could not establish a

prima facie case for disability discrimination under the PHRA. Appellant

responded, objecting to Appellee’s motion for summary judgment. Following

a hearing, the trial court granted Appellee’s motion for summary judgment.

Appellant timely appealed. Both Appellant and the trial court complied with

Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

On appeal, Appellant presents five issues for our review:

[I.] Whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment against [Appellant].

[II.] Whether the trial court erred that there is no material issue of fact as to whether Appellee violated the [PHRA] by failing to provide [Appellant] an extended leave as a reasonable accommodation for her disability.

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Jarmon, D. v. The Convent of the Sisters, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jarmon-d-v-the-convent-of-the-sisters-pasuperct-2020.