Manley v. Mobile County, Ala.

441 F. Supp. 1351, 20 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 731
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Alabama
DecidedDecember 12, 1977
DocketCiv. A. 76-536-P
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 441 F. Supp. 1351 (Manley v. Mobile County, Ala.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Manley v. Mobile County, Ala., 441 F. Supp. 1351, 20 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 731 (S.D. Ala. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

PITTMAN, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff’s cause of action is based on sex discrimination in employment by Mobile County, Alabama, the Sheriff of Mobile County, Thomas J. Purvis, individually and in his capacity as Sheriff, and Chief Deputy Charles Wimberly, individually and in his official capacity. Plaintiff, a female, contends the defendants refused to hire her as an identification assistant officer with the Sheriff’s office because she is a female. Such a course of action, she contends, was violative of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq. and 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Plaintiff seeks to invoke jurisdiction pursuant to Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 1343(3), 2201, and 2202.

The plaintiff seeks the following relief:

(a) a declaratory judgment that the practices and policies complained of herein violate the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 2000e, et seq.;

(b) an injunction enjoining defendants and those acting in concert with them and at their direction from engaging in hiring practices that discriminate against the plaintiff on account of her sex and enjoining defendants from failing and refusing to offer the plaintiff immediate employment;

(c) an award of back pay in the amount she would have earned from the date of her rejection, to and including the date of judgment herein, but for defendants’ discriminatory hiring policies and practices;

*1353 (d) an award of compensatory and punitive damages in the amount of fifty thousand dollars;

(e) an award of costs in this action, including an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees;

(f) such other and further equitable relief as the court may deem just and proper.

The defendant, Mobile County, contends it is not a “person” subject to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. It further contends it is not an employer or person engaged in an industry affecting commerce within the meaning of § 2000e. It further asserts that it has not discriminated nor had any contact with the plaintiff in her attempt to secure employment with the Sheriff of Mobile County who is an elected public official in charge of both his office and personnel and who, furthermore, is not an agent, servant, or employee of Mobile County. The Sheriff’s Office and facilities are funded by the defendant Mobile County as well as by federal grants and certain taxes earmarked specifically for his office.

The defendants Purvis and Wimberly contend they are not employers within the meaning of § 2000e(b). They further contend plaintiff was not discriminated against because of her sex but that the duties of the office she sought require a person of the male sex, i. e., a bona fide occupational qualification (bfoq) provided for in 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2(e), restricts the position to a male.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The plaintiff, Rita Jean Manley, is a white, female citizen of the United States and of the State of Alabama.

The defendant Purvis is now and has at all times material to this action, served as the Sheriff of Mobile County, Alabama. As a Sheriff, he is a constitutionally recognized executive officer of the State of Alabama under the Constitution of Alabama of 1901.

The defendant Wimberly is now and has at all times material to this action been the Chief Deputy Sheriff of Mobile County, Alabama.

Mobile County qua county was established by the Constitution of Alabama of 1901. The Mobile County Commission is regulated by legislative acts which direct it to furnish the Sheriff of Mobile County with such quarters, supplies and equipment, together with the maintenance and repair of equipment, as are reasonably necessary for the efficient operation of the Mobile County Sheriff’s office.

Sometime in January, 1975, the plaintiff visited the “Intergovernmental Job Office” maintained at 31 North Royal Street, Mobile, Alabama, and completed a postal card which was to be sent to her as notification in the event that the Mobile County Personnel Board accepted applications for the position of Identification Assistant Officer. In the latter part of June, 1975, the plaintiff was in fact notified that the Mobile County Personnel Board was accepting applications for the aforementioned position. The plaintiff applied for such job, taking a competitive examination administered by the Personnel Board shortly thereafter. In early August 1975, the plaintiff received a notice from the Personnel Board informing her that she had successfully completed the written section of the examination for Identification Assistant Officer and requesting she appear for an interview at the office of the Personnel Board on August 18, 1975. The plaintiff reported to the Personnel Board’s office at the stated time and was interviewed by Mr. Marvin Richardson. He informed her that she had passed the examination.

On November 26, 1975, the plaintiff received another notice from the Mobile County Personnel Board, informing her that she had received a “final rating” of 86.91 on the examination for Identification Assistant Officer and had been ranked second on the employment register of eligible individuals seeking the position.

In December 1975, two persons, both male, were hired as Identification Assistant Officers.

The plaintiff filed a charge of sex discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the basis of *1354 defendants’ refusal to hire her as an Identification Assistant Officer, and commenced this action in the appropriate district court upon receipt of statutory notice of her right to sue under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 within the appropriate time limits.

All Identification Assistant Officers and Identification Officers employed with the defendant Mobile County Sheriff are males.

The defendant Wimberly had immediate responsibility for hiring the persons to the vacancies existing in the job of Identification Assistant Officer in December 1975. This authority was delegated to him by defendant Thomas J. Purvis.

Except for one process server supplied and funded by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Program, the Sheriff did not employ females for any duties other than clerical work prior to the date of the alleged discrimination in late 1975.

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Bluebook (online)
441 F. Supp. 1351, 20 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 731, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/manley-v-mobile-county-ala-alsd-1977.