Jentoft v. United States

64 Fed. Cl. 549, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 74, 86 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,945, 95 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 755, 2005 WL 681246
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMarch 23, 2005
DocketNo. 03-1812
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 64 Fed. Cl. 549 (Jentoft v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jentoft v. United States, 64 Fed. Cl. 549, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 74, 86 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,945, 95 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 755, 2005 WL 681246 (uscfc 2005).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GEORGE W. MILLER, Judge.

This matter is before the Court on defendant’s motion under United States Court of Federal Claims Rules (“RCFC”) 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) to dismiss Counts III and IV of the complaint, entitled “Equal Pay Act Claim” and “Equal Pay Act Retaliation Claim,” respectively. After the initial briefing of defendant’s motion, the Court requested that the parties submit supplemental briefs on the question whether plaintiff was a dual status technician. Defendant filed its supplemental brief on December 17, 2004, and plaintiff filed its supplemental brief on January 13, 2005. Oral argument was deemed unnecessary. For the reasons set forth below, defendant’s motion to dismiss is GRANTED.

BACKGROUND1

Plaintiff, Major Heidi A. Jentoft, was hired by the Georgia National Guard in May 2001 [551]*551as a “dual status” military technician, pursuant to 32 U.S.C. § 709(b) (2000). Def.’s Supplemental Mem. Attach. 1. She was a Major in both the Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States, and she was a GS-12 excepted service Federal employee. Plaintiff was assigned, as a technician, to the Army Facility # 1 in Winder, Georgia, where she was a supervisory maintenance test pilot. Her duties were to manage the aircraft maintenance shop that provides aviation unit maintenance and limited aviation intermediate maintenance service for assigned aircraft as well as backup maintenance for the aircraft maintained by the Army Aviation Support Facility. While performing her duties, she wore a military uniform and was referred to and answered to the title of Major. She was assigned, as a Major in the Guard, to the 126th Aviation Regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard.

Prior to plaintiffs being hired by the Georgia National Guard, Colonel Dannis E. Livingston and Major Anthony Sutter represented to plaintiff that a maintenance test pilot retention allowance bonus in an amount of approximately $10,000.00 was guaranteed to be paid to her if she took the job. Compl. 1116. Relying on the promise of the bonus, as well as other job-related benefits, plaintiff accepted the job offer to start the position of Supervisory Test Pilot on May 20, 2001. Compl. H17. After being hired, plaintiff never received the bonus, despite the fact that the other test pilots, all of whom were male, working in substantially similar positions within the Georgia National Guard were receiving the bonus. Compl. If 18. Plaintiff was the only female test pilot in the Georgia National Guard and the only test pilot who did not receive the bonus. Id.

In or about September 2001, plaintiff complained to Colonel Livingston and Major Sutter that she believed gender may be a factor in her not receiving the bonus. Compl. ¶19. Plaintiff filed a charge of discrimination with the EEOC on September 17, 2001. Id. The basis for plaintiffs charge of discrimination was that she did not receive the retention bonus while other similarly situated male test pilots did. Id. On or about November 20, 2001. plaintiff complained to Colonel Jimmy Davis that gender may be a factor in awarding bonuses. Compl. ¶ 20.

After plaintiff complained to her superiors, Colonel Livingston, Colonel Davis, and Major Sutter, she began receiving unwarranted negative performance evaluations and false accusations regarding her abilities as a technician within the Georgia National Guard. Compl. ¶ 21. Prior to her complaints about not receiving the bonus, plaintiff earned excellent performance evaluations. Compl. ¶22. After the complaints, Major Sutter, plaintiffs immediate supervisor, specifically indicated to plaintiff that although he did not want to, he was ordered to investigate the negative evaluations. Compl. ¶23. Colonel Livingston, Colonel Davis, and Major Sutter all intentionally retaliated against plaintiff for complaining of gender-based pay discrimination by terminating her employment with Georgia National Guard effective April 5, 2002. Compl. ¶24.

Plaintiff filed her complaint on July 31, 2003. Counts I and II alleged gender discrimination and retaliation pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3(a) (2000). Counts III and IV alleged a violation of the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. § 206(d) (2000), and retaliation for complaints of the alleged violation of the Equal Pay Act, pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. On April 5, 2004, plaintiff filed an Unopposed Motion to Dismiss Counts I and II (Title VII Claims) from Proceedings. Thereafter, on April 8, 2004, Counts I and II were dismissed by Order of the Court. Defendant’s motion seeks to dismiss the claims set forth in Counts III and IV of the complaint.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard for Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1)

When considering a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction [552]*552pursuant to RCFC 12(b)(1), the court may consider all relevant evidence in order to resolve any disputes as to the truth of the jurisdictional facts alleged in the complaint. C C Distribs., Inc. v. United States, 38 Fed. Cl. 771, 774 (1997) (citing Reynolds v. Army & Air Force Exch. Serv., 846 F.2d 746, 747 (Fed.Cir.1988)). The court is required to decide any disputed facts that are relevant to the issue of jurisdiction. Reynolds, 846 F.2d at 747. The burden of establishing jurisdiction is on the plaintiff. McNutt v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp., 298 U.S. 178, 189, 56 S.Ct. 780, 80 L.Ed. 1135 (1936); C C Distribs., 38 Fed.Cl. at 775.

II. The Court Lacks Jurisdiction Over Plaintiff’s Claim for Retaliation Pursuant to the FLSA

Section 15(a)(3) of the FLSA makes it unlawful for any person “to discharge or in any other manner discriminate against any employee because such employee has filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this chapter [the FLSA].” 29 U.S.C. § 215(a)(3) (2000). Section 16(b) states that “[a]ny employer who violates the provisions of section 215(a)(3) of this title shall be liable for such legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate to effectuate the purposes of section 215(a)(3) of this title.” 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) (2000). That section further provides that an action to recover damages for violations of section 215(a)(3) may be “maintained against any employer (including a public agency) in any Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction.” Id. (emphasis added).

The court’s subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491

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Walch v. Adjutant General's Department
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64 Fed. Cl. 549, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 74, 86 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 41,945, 95 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 755, 2005 WL 681246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jentoft-v-united-states-uscfc-2005.