Kahmann v. Reno

967 F. Supp. 731, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9023, 1997 WL 358998
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedJune 25, 1997
DocketNo. 94-CV-257
StatusPublished

This text of 967 F. Supp. 731 (Kahmann v. Reno) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kahmann v. Reno, 967 F. Supp. 731, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9023, 1997 WL 358998 (N.D.N.Y. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION and ORDER

HURD, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Presently before the court is plaintiffs petition for a writ of mandamus, sought to compel the defendants to comply with this court’s judgment entered on May 31, 1996. Defendants submitted opposition to the petition, and plaintiff replied to the opposition. Oral argument was heard on February 13,1997, in Utica, New York. At the directive of the court, defendants submitted written opposition to the exhibits proffered by plaintiff at oral argument.

Although familiarity with the May 31, 1996, Memorandum-Decision and Order1 (“May 1996 order”) is assumed, relevant background facts will be recounted.

In 1985 the plaintiff filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) alleging discrimination based upon gender occurring in May of that year. In August 1989 the EEOC issued a final determination that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) had discriminated against the plaintiff based upon her gender. The EEOC ordered a “make whole” remedy, including, but not limited to, back pay plus interest and lost benefits. INS was to have reported its corrective action within sixty days. The INS did not appeal this order.

Seven months after the EEOC ordered the make whole remedy in August 1989, INS tendered back pay to plaintiff, which was an underpayment of approximately $40,000.00. Six months later INS made another payment to plaintiff, constituting the full amount of back pay due. INS continued, however, to refuse to pay interest on the back pay award. Plaintiff finally received the interest due on this back pay award, after filing suit in federal court and receiving a grant of summary judgment against the INS.

[733]*733The INS offered plaintiff a position, purportedly in keeping with the make whole remedy ordered by the EEOC. Because of the plaintiffs relocation and various other complications outlined in the May 1996 order, plaintiff was eventually terminated by the INS. In March 1994 plaintiff filed this federal lawsuit alleging that the INS failed to comply with the EEOC make whole remedy, and further, terminated her in retaliation for her attempts to obtain compliance with the make whole remedy.

Following a two-day bench trial, held on November 21-22, 1995, this court found that INS failed to comply with the EEOC remedy by failing to 1) provide plaintiff with a nondiscriminatory placement; 2) restore lost benefits, such as insurance, savings plan, and pension plan; and 3) meet the technical reporting requirements for corrective action. Moreover, the defendants retaliated against the plaintiff for attempting to obtain compliance with the EEOC make whole remedy. Accordingly, judgment was entered for the plaintiff and against the defendants, and the defendants were ordered to 1) pay back pay plus interest for the appropriate period, the amount of which was delineated by the court; 2) reinstate plaintiff to a nondiscriminatory placement, at a grade level and location delineated by the court; 3) provide plaintiff the opportunity to elect health and life insurance benefits upon her reinstatement; 4) place appropriate documents in plaintiffs personnel file indicating continuing service since 1985, and expunge references to her EEOC complaint in those records, as delineated by the court;2 5) credit plaintiff with appropriate amounts of annual leave and sick leave which she would have accumulated; 6) establish a Federal Employees Retirement System (“FERS”) basic annuity account, including INS and plaintiffs contributions;3 7) establish a Thrift Savings Plan (“TSP”) account for plaintiff, permit plaintiff to elect additional contributions, and deposit the appropriate amounts in the account.4 See id. at 1223-24.

II. Procedural Posture

As an initial matter, defendants oppose plaintiffs petition and seek to strike it as an improper appeal, or deny the petition as without basis in law or fact if the petition [734]*734is construed as a motion to alter or amend the judgment. Defendants argue that pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 81(b), writs of mandamus are abolished.5 Defendants further argue that a proper petition for writ of mandamus must be filed in the court of appeals pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 21. Alternatively, if the petition is construed as a motion under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59, defendant argues that it must be denied as untimely and improper because plaintiff does not seek a new trial. Finally, if the petition is construed as a motion under Rule 60, defendants argue that it should be denied as seeking relief outside the original judgment.

In reply, the plaintiff, who has prosecuted this action pro se, requests that her petition be renamed to conform with any legal requirement which is necessary to provide the relief sought.

To accept defendants’ position would be to leave the plaintiff without a remedy and to emasculate the court. It is simply common sense that when a court orders a defendant to provide plaintiff a remedy that is justified and within the law, the court must have the power to assure that the defendant complies with the order. Otherwise, neither the remedy nor the original order would have meaning. Despite the evident veracity of this proposition, defendants’ arguments will be considered.

Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure clearly is inapplicable in this situation. Appellate Rule 21 provides an avenue to obtain review of a trial court’s action, or to order the trial court to act when it has failed to do so. See Fed. R. App. P. 21. Here there is a judgment against defendants with which they allegedly have not complied. The relief sought by plaintiff is an order to defendants to comply with the judgment, which is outside the scope of available relief under Appellate Rule 21.

Title 28, Section 1361 of the United States Code confers original jurisdiction on the district courts “of any action in the nature of mandamus to compel an officer or employee of the United States or any agency thereof to perform a duty owed to the plaintiff.” Also, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 70 provides in part “[i]f a judgment directs a party ... to perform any other specific act and the party fails to comply within the time specified, the court may direct the act to be done at the cost of the disobedient party by some other person appointed by the court.... The court may also in proper cases adjudge the party in contempt.” See Gilbert v. Johnson, 490 F.2d 827

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Bluebook (online)
967 F. Supp. 731, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9023, 1997 WL 358998, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kahmann-v-reno-nynd-1997.