Jones v. International Ass'n of Bridge Structural Ornamental

864 F. Supp. 2d 760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45436, 2012 WL 1067154
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 28, 2012
DocketCase No. 10-C-560
StatusPublished

This text of 864 F. Supp. 2d 760 (Jones v. International Ass'n of Bridge Structural Ornamental) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. International Ass'n of Bridge Structural Ornamental, 864 F. Supp. 2d 760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45436, 2012 WL 1067154 (E.D. Wis. 2012).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER

PATRICIA J. GORENCE, United States Magistrate Judge.

On July 7, 2010, plaintiff Ricky Jones filed a pro se civil rights complaint under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981, 1983, 1985, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and the Union Member Bill of Rights. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants discriminated against him on the basis of his race and retaliated against him “for his success on previous lawsuits.” (Complaint at 2). The plaintiff also alleges that defendant Ironworkers Local 8 Welfare Fund violated ERISA when it “arbitrarily terminated my spouse and my health insurance benifits [sic], violated confidentiality based on a discriminatory and retalitory [sic] animus from privious [sic] lawsuits filed by me.” Id.

The defendants each filed motions to dismiss. The following motions are currently pending: (1) defendant International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers, AFL-CIO’s (International Association) motion to dismiss (Docket # 18); (2) defendant Ironworkers District Council of North Central States’ (District Council) motion to dismiss (Docket #21); (3) defendants Ironworkers Local 8 and members of its Executive Board, Tom Cullen, Gilbert Toslek, William Fleming and Richard Hanson’s motion to dismiss (Docket # 30); (4) defendant Ironworkers Local 8 Health and Welfare Fund Board of Trustees’ motion to dismiss (Docket # 33); (5) defendants DWD Bureau of Apprenticeship and Karen Morgan’s motion to dismiss (Docket # 47); and (6) defendant J.P. Cullen Con[765]*765struction Company’s motion to dismiss (Docket # 60).

The court has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 because the matter arises under federal statutes. Venue is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1391. The case was assigned according to the random assignment of civil cases pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and General Local Rule 72.1 (E.D.Wis.). The parties have consented to United States magistrate judge jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and General Local Rule 73.1 (E.D.Wis.).

MOTION TO DISMISS STANDARDS

A motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) challenges the sufficiency of the complaint to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). To state a cognizable claim under federal notice pleading, the plaintiff is required to provide a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that [she] is entitled to relief.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a)(2). It is not necessary for the plaintiff to plead specific facts and the statement need only “give the defendant fair notice of what the ... claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 [1957]). Although detailed factual allegations are not required, Rule 8 “demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 1949, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). However, a pleading that offers “labels and conclusions” or a “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Id.

To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face. 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. 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.’ ” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1949 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 557, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955) (internal citations omitted).

Determining whether a complaint states a plausible claim for relief will be a content-specific task that requires the reviewing court to draw on its judicial experience and common sense. But where the well-pleaded facts do not permit the court to infer more than the mere possibility of misconduct, the complaint has alleged— but it has not “show[n]” — “that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1950 (internal citations omitted).

In considering a motion to dismiss, courts should follow the principles set forth in Twombly by first “identifying pleadings that, because they are no more than conclusions, are not entitled to the assumption of truth.” Iqbal, 129 S.Ct. at 1950. Legal conclusions must be supported by factual allegations. Second, if there are well-pleaded factual allegations, the court must “assume their veracity and then determine whether they plausibly give rise to an entitlement to relief.” Id.

When deciding a motion to dismiss, a court must construe the complaint “in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, accepting as true all well-pleaded facts alleged, and drawing all possible inferences” in favor of the plaintiff. Tamayo v. Blago[766]*766jevich, 526 F.3d 1074, 1081 (7th Cir.2008) (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). The court, however, is “not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

Motion to Dismiss: Defendant International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers, AFL-CIO (International Association)

Defendant International Association asserts that Count I of the complaint (the only count that purports to state a claim against it) should be dismissed, pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, for lack of subject matter jurisdiction over the claim because the plaintiff failed to exhaust his administrative remedies prior to filing suit and because he did not bring his claim within the relevant statute of limitations. Additionally, defendant International Association asserts that Count I fails to state a claim for which relief can be granted pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6).

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Bluebook (online)
864 F. Supp. 2d 760, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45436, 2012 WL 1067154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-international-assn-of-bridge-structural-ornamental-wied-2012.