Johnson v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Tennessee
DecidedNovember 7, 2019
Docket2:18-cv-02509
StatusUnknown

This text of Johnson v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (Johnson v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, (W.D. Tenn. 2019).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE WESTERN DIVISION

) ANGELA L. JOHNSON, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) No. 2:18-cv-02509-SHM-cgc ) BAPTIST MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE ) CORPORATION and BAPTIST ) MEMORIAL MEDICAL GROUP, INC., ) ) Defendants. ) )

ORDER

This is an employment discrimination and retaliation case. Before the Court are three motions. The first motion is Defendant Baptist Memorial Medical Group, Inc.’s (“BMMG”) July 26, 2019 Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Amended Complaint. (ECF No. 43.) BMMG argues that Plaintiff Angela Johnson’s claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e, et seq., are time-barred. Johnson responded on September 18, 2019. (ECF No. 49.) BMMG replied on October 2, 2019. (ECF No. 54.) The second motion is BMMG’s October 2, 2019 Motion to Strike Johnson’s Late-Filed Response to BMMG’s Motion to Dismiss (BMMG’s “First Motion to Strike”). (ECF No. 54.) Johnson responded on October 15, 2019. (ECF No. 61.) BMMG replied on October 24, 2019. (ECF No. 67.) The third motion is BMMG’s October 22, 2019 Motion to Strike

Johnson’s Sur-Reply and Memorandum in Support (BMMG’s “Second Motion to Strike”). (ECF No. 64.) Johnson has not filed a response, and the time to do so has passed. For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS BMMG’s Motion to Dismiss. The Court GRANTS BMMG’s First Motion to Strike. The Court GRANTS BMMG’s Second Motion to Strike. I. Background BMMG is a subsidiary of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (“BMHCC”). (Am. Compl., ECF No. 41 ¶ 7.) Johnson is a former BMMG employee. (Id.) She worked for BMMG as a Patient Finance Representative from August 2013 to July 2016. (Id. ¶¶ 8, 17.) On October 28, 2015, Johnson filed a Charge of

Discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the “EEOC”) alleging that she had been denied a promotion because of her race. (Id. ¶ 12.) The October 28, 2015 Charge of Discrimination listed BMMG as the respondent. (Id. Ex. 1.) On April 26, 2018, the EEOC sent Johnson a Notice of Suit Rights based on this Charge of Discrimination. (Id. ¶ 13.) On July 7, 2016, Johnson filed a second Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC alleging that she had been retaliated against for filing the October 28, 2015 Charge of

Discrimination. (Id. ¶¶ 14-18.) The July 7, 2016 Charge of Discrimination listed BMHCC as the respondent. (Id. Ex. 3.) On May 22, 2018, the EEOC sent Johnson a Notice of Suit Rights based on this Charge of Discrimination. (Id. ¶ 19.) On July 24, 2018, Johnson filed a Complaint against BMHCC alleging race-based discrimination and retaliation in violation of: (1) Title VII; (2) Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 1981; and (3) the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. (ECF No. 1 at 1- 2.) On July 12, 2019, Johnson filed an Amended Complaint adding BMMG as a defendant. (ECF No. 41.) BMMG moves to dismiss Johnson’s Title VII claims as time- barred.1 (ECF No. 43.) BMMG moves to strike Johnson’s untimely

response to BMMG’s Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 54.) BMMG moves

1 BMMG states in its motion that it moves to dismiss Johnson’s § 1981 claims as well. (ECF No. 43 at 1.) In its memorandum of law, BMMG does not discuss Johnson’s § 1981 claims and argues only that Johnson’s Title VII claims are time-barred. (See ECF No. 43-1.) Johnson’s § 1981 claims are governed by a separate statute of limitations, which BMMG does not address. See Barrett v. Whirlpool Corp., 556 F.3d 502, 511 (6th Cir. 2009) (noting that “a four-year statute of limitations applies” to § 1981 claims); Tartt v. City of Clarksville, 149 F. App’x 456, 461 n.2 (6th Cir. 2005) (noting that § 1981 claims “are not governed by the same EEOC restrictions and statutes of limitations as Title VII claims”). The Court understands BMMG’s Motion to Dismiss to be directed only to Johnson’s Title VII claims. to strike Johnson’s sur-reply to its Motion to Dismiss. (ECF No. 64.) II. Jurisdiction The Court has federal-question jurisdiction. Under 28

U.S.C. § 1331, United States district courts have original jurisdiction “of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.” Johnson alleges that BMMG violated Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Those claims arise under the Constitution and laws of the United States. III. Standard of Review A. Motion to Dismiss Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) allows dismissal of a complaint that “fail[s] to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” A Rule 12(b)(6) motion permits the “defendant to test whether, as a matter of law, the plaintiff is entitled

to legal relief even if everything alleged in the complaint is true.” Mayer v. Mylod, 988 F.2d 635, 638 (6th Cir. 1993) (citing Nishiyama v. Dickson Cty., 814 F.2d 277, 279 (6th Cir. 1987)). A motion to dismiss tests only whether the plaintiff has pled a cognizable claim and allows the court to dismiss meritless cases that would waste judicial resources and result in unnecessary discovery. See Brown v. City of Memphis, 440 F. Supp. 2d 868, 872 (W.D. Tenn. 2006). When evaluating a motion to dismiss for failure to state a

claim, the Court must determine whether the complaint alleges “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, 570 (2007)). The “[f]actual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above [a] speculative level.” Ass’n of Cleveland Fire Fighters v. City of Cleveland, 502 F.3d 545, 548 (6th Cir. 2007) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555). A claim is plausible on its face if “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). A complaint need not contain detailed factual allegations. However, a plaintiff’s “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Id. B. Motion to Strike Granting or denying a motion to strike is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Seay v. Tenn. Valley Auth., 339 F.3d 454, 480 (6th Cir. 2003). The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not contemplate motions to strike documents other than pleadings. Fox v. Mich. State Police Dep’t, 173 F. App’x 372, 375 (6th Cir. 2006); cf. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f) (providing that “[a] court may strike from a pleading an insufficient

defense or any redundant, immaterial, impertinent, or scandalous matter”).

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Johnson v. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-baptist-memorial-health-care-corporation-tnwd-2019.