Jennings v. Suny Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate Medical Center)

201 F. Supp. 3d 332, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113061, 2016 WL 4446148
District Court, E.D. New York·Decided August 19, 2016·No. 16 Civ. 578 (ILG) (SMG)·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

GLASSER, Senior United States District Judge:

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Adril Jennings brings this action against her former employer the State University of New York (“SUNT’), alleging that she was discriminated against because of her race and, when she protested the discrimination, fired in retaliation. She thus brings claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, N.Y. Exec. Law § 296 (“New York State Human Rights Law”), New York City, N.Y., Code § 8-107(1) (“New York City Human Rights Law”)» and 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (“Title VH”).

Presently before the Court is Defendant’s motion, brought pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), Fed. R. Civ. P., to dismiss the Complaint. For the reasons described below, that motion is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND

For almost thirty years, Plaintiff worked as a personnel associate at SUNY. (See Compl. ¶ 9, ECF No. 1.) In November 2014, she filed an “internal complaint of racial discrimination,” asserting that a younger, white co-worker was getting preferential treatment. (Compl. ¶¶ 10-11.) Plaintiff alleges that her supervisor later called the complaint “kindergarten behavior.” (Id. ¶ 12.) Then, in May 2015, she was fired.

Based on these facts, Plaintiff claims that she was fired in retaliation for her involvement in the internal complaint. She thus brings six claims for various violations of federal, state, and New York City laws. Defendant asserts that Plaintiff was never discriminated against, and that she was fired as part of a “reduction in force implemented due to budget constraints.” (Mem. of Law in Support of Def.’s Mot. to Dismiss at 1, ECF No. 11.) It urges dismissal because this Court lacks jurisdiction to hear certain claims (see Rule 12(b)(1), Fed. R. Civ. P.), and the remainder fail to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See Rule 12(b)(6), Fed. R. Civ. P.

DISCUSSION

A case is properly dismissed under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) when a district court lacks the statutory or [335] constitutional power to adjudicate it. Makarova v. U.S., 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir.2000). In this case, the Court must consider its power to adjudicate claims brought against a state, since Defendant SUNY is “an integral part of the government of the State [of New York] and when it is sued the State is the real party.” Dube v. State Univ. of New York, 900 F.2d 587, 594 (2d Cir.1990). Thus, consideration of Defendant’s motion must begin with a discussion of the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, which provides: “[t]he Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.”

I. Sovereign Immunity

Under the Eleventh Amendment, “nonconsenting States may not be sued by private individuals in federal court,” Bd. of Trustees v. Garrett, 531 U.S. 356, 363, 121 S.Ct. 955, 148 L.Ed.2d 866 (2001), including in suits brought by their own citizens. Dube, 900 F.2d at 594 (citing Dwyer v. Regan, 777 F.2d 825, 835 (2d Cir.1985)). That immunity extends “not only to [] state[s], but also to entities considered ‘arms of the state’ ” McGinty v. New York, 251 F.3d 84, 95 (2d Cir.2001) (quotation omitted), such as SUNY.

This immunity, however, is not absolute. A state can still be sued in two scenarios. First, as implied by the grant of immunity to. nonconsenting states, a state can give up its immunity on consent. Defendant has not consented.

Second, Congress can abrogate a state’s immunity under authority granted by Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which allows it to pass statutes enforcing that Amendment. See U.S. Const, amend. XIV, § 5; Fitzpatrick v. Bitzer, 427 U.S. 445, 454, 96 S.Ct. 2666, 49 L.Ed.2d 614 (1976). But Congress has not passed any statutes abrogating New York’s immunity from the laws on which Plaintiff bases five of her six claims: 42 U.S.C. § 1981,1 New York State Executive Law,2 or New York City Human Rights Law.3 Therefore, to the extent Defendant’s motion seeks dismissal of those claims — namely, Counts One, Two, Three, Five, and Six — the motion is granted.

Congress did, however, abrogate states’ immunity to suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (see Rother v. NYS Dep’t of Corr. & Cmty. Supervision, 970 F.Supp.2d 78, 90 (N.D.N.Y.2013)), so that Plaintiffs claim under that law, Count Four, does not fail on sovereign immunity grounds. But as described below, that claim must also be dismissed.

II. Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seg.

Defendant seeks dismissal of Count Four pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), since the exhaustion of certain administrative remedies is “an essential element’ of the Title VII ... statutory scheme[ ] and, [336] as such, a precondition to bringing such claims in federal court.” Legnani v. Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane, S.P.A, 274 F.3d 683, 686 (2d Cir.2001) (quotation omitted). Thus, in order to state a plausible claim under Title VII (see Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)), Plaintiff must have filed a timely complaint with the EEOC and obtained a right-to-sue letter. See Deravin v. Kerik, 335 F.3d 195,199-200 (2d Cir.2003).

A. Plaintiff failed to exhaust her administrative remedies.

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Jennings v. Suny Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate Medical Center), 201 F. Supp. 3d 332, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113061, 2016 WL 4446148 (E.D.N.Y. 2016).

201 F. Supp. 3d 332 (Jennings v. Suny Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate Medical Center)) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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