Machon v. Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare

847 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2012 WL 592323, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22699
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 23, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. 11-4151
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 847 F. Supp. 2d 734 (Machon v. Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Machon v. Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, 847 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2012 WL 592323, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22699 (E.D. Pa. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

ANITA B. BRODY, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Christopher Machón, a former forensic registered nurse at Norristown [740]*740State Hospital, brings this action against the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Gary D. Alexander (Acting Secretary of Public Welfare) and Gerald Kent (CEO, Norristown State Hospital) in their official and individual capacities. Machón also sues the following employees of Norristown State Hospital in their individual capacities: Maryann Chopyak (Supervisor), Traci Cannon (Chopyak’s Supervisor), Christine Puleo (Supervisor), Richard Szczurowski (Director, Human Resources), Mary Ann Virden (Colleague), and John Miller (Employee). Machón brings the following claims: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 First Amendment retaliation (Count I); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Fourteenth Amendment due process violation (Count II); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Fourteenth Amendment equal protection violation (Count III); 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Fourth Amendment privacy violation (Count IV); invasion of privacy violation under Pennsylvania law (Count V); 42 U.S.C. § 1985 conspiracy (Count VI) 1

Federal question jurisdiction over Counts I-IV and VI is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 28 U.S.C. § 1343. Supplemental jurisdiction over Count V is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). Defendants have moved to dismiss all counts of the amended complaint. For the reasons set forth below, Defendants’ motion to dismiss will be granted in part and denied in part.

II. BACKGROUND2

Christopher Machón was a male forensic registered nurse (“FRN”) at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s Norristown State Hospital (“DPW”).3

• From June 2007 through June 2009, Machón received satisfactory ratings on his Employee Performance Reviews. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 101-03.

From approximately January 2007 through June 2009, FRN Supervisor Maryanne Denczi served as Machon’s FRN supervisor. Mot. Dismiss Am. Compl. Ex. 2, ¶ 9 (Ex. 2, “Adjudication”). On June 20, 2009, FRN Supervisor Christine Puleo became Machon’s immediate FRN supervisor. Adjudication ¶ 12. FRN Supervisor Maryann Chopyak worked the night shifts in the same building where Machón worked the day shifts. Tracy Cannon served as Chopyak’s supervisor. Adjudication ¶20.

• Beginning in 2008, Machón made formal and informal workplace harassment complaints to the following supervisors: Gerald Kent (CEO, Norristown State Hospital), Richard Szczurowski (Director, Human Resources), Maryann Chopyak (FRN Supervisor), and Traci [741]*741Cannon (Chopyak’s Supervisor). Am. Compl. ¶ 22.

In those complaints, Machón alleged that he and others were wrongfully disciplined and subjected to verbal abuse by the following DPW employees: Mary Ann Virden (Colleague), John Miller (Employee), Christine Puleo (FRN Supervisor), Chop-yak (FRN Supervisor) and Cannon (Chop-yak’s Supervisor). Am. Compl. ¶ 22.

• In February 2009, Machón filed workplace violence/harassment complaints against several supervisors, including Cannon, and later invoked his Civil Service Administrative Rights.4 Am. Compl. ¶ 33; Adjudication ¶ 57.

Additionally, Machón reported to law enforcement officials that his workplace witnesses who had seen him getting harassed were being threatened by unspecified Defendants. Am. Compl. ¶ 33. Machón also alleges that his confidential work file was improperly revealed to co-workers. According to Machón, the release of his private information spurred Defendants Cannon, Puleo, Virden, and Miller to conspire against him. Am. Compl. ¶ 34. Machón alleges that he was subjected “to false, pretextual and retaliatory disciplines including written warnings [and] verbal reprimands.” Am. Compl. ¶ 23. Defendant Miller filed false allegations of workplace violence against him. Am. Compl. ¶ 55. Moreover, in September 2009, unspecified Defendants accused Machón of “unauthorized absence,” “falsification of records,” and not following the proper policies regarding the handling of work keys. Am. Compl. ¶40. Machón alleges that the rules he broke were never previously enforced against him or other FRNs.

• On November 9, 2009, Machón received a suspension for “Failure to Follow Policy and Procedure, Falsification of Records and Unreported Absence.” Adjudication ¶ 2.

• In January 2010, Machón received a three-day suspension relating to an alleged incident that took place on August 29th and 30th of the previous year. Am. Compl. ¶ 50.

Machón alleges that the grounds (“unreported absence,” “failure to follow general instruction of procedures,” and “falsification of an official document”) were baseless and that similarly situated FRNs were not disciplined for committing the same infractions. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 52, 54.

• In February 2010, Machón and other unnamed coworkers unsuccessfully tried to meet with Defendant Puleo to discuss the hostile work environment. Am. Compl. ¶ 62.

On February 19, 2010, Defendant Cannon yelled at Machón in front of doctors, staff and patients. Cannon screamed: “get out of this office,” “you don’t belong here!,” “get back to your unit,” “people are tired of your stuff!,” and “for seventeen years you have been running the game!”. Mot. Dismiss, ¶¶ 63, 65, 67. Cannon shouted the last two statements after following Machón into the nurse’s office where he went to receive care after feeling flushed and lightheaded. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 66-67. Cannon refused to leave the nurse’s office. Machón transferred to the emergency room for additional care. Am. Compl. ¶69. Three days later, Machón filed a workplace violence/harassment complaint against Cannon. • But unspecified Defendants dismissed the complaint as unfounded without interviewing Machon’s witnesses. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 71-72.

[742]*742• In March 2010, Machón realized that a prior suspension that was supposed to be removed was still in his file. Am. Compl. ¶ 77.

Defendants Kent and Szczurowski informed Machón that the suspension would be removed. In September 2010, Machón checked and the suspension was still in his file. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 78, 79. That same month, Machón filed an additional workplace harassment complaint against Defendant Cannon. Am. Compl. ¶ 88.

• By September 2010, Machón had already received two additional suspensions.

On May 7, 2010, Defendants Kent, Szczurowski, Miller, Chopyak, Puleo, and Cannon “conspired and agreed to issue Plaintiff a letter of ‘alternative discipline in lieu of suspension’ (ADLS) falsely alleging an unreported absence.” Am. Compl. ¶ 83.

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Bluebook (online)
847 F. Supp. 2d 734, 2012 WL 592323, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22699, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/machon-v-pennsylvania-department-of-public-welfare-paed-2012.