Moore v. City Colleges of Chicago-Olive Harvey College, The

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedSeptember 5, 2018
Docket1:16-cv-05208
StatusUnknown

This text of Moore v. City Colleges of Chicago-Olive Harvey College, The (Moore v. City Colleges of Chicago-Olive Harvey College, The) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moore v. City Colleges of Chicago-Olive Harvey College, The, (N.D. Ill. 2018).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS EASTERN DIVISION SHAHARI MOORE, ) ) Plaintiff, ) No. 16 C 5208 v. ) ) Hon. Virginia M. Kendall CITY COLLEGES OF CHICAGO — OLIVE- ) HARVEY COLLEGE, ) ) Defendant. ) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Plaintiff Shahari Moore sued City Colleges of Chicago — Olive-Harvey College (“City Colleges” or “College”)! alleging gender discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seg. See (Dkt. No. 1). Moore was fired from Olive- Harvey College after a disciplinary hearing for assigning a book in her course and others at the College that she had a financial interest in—specifically, for which she was earning royalties. Moore challenged her discharge through arbitration and the arbitrator affirmed the ethics violation but directed City Colleges to reinstate her after a suspension period. At the time of the original discipline, Moore filed this sex discrimination case alleging that City Colleges did not discipline male professors for the same ethics violation. Moore no longer disputes that her actions amount to an ethics violation but continues to claim that her original discharge was more accurately based on gender motivation. City Colleges moves for summary judgment asserting the College disciplined Moore for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons and so she cannot prevail on her gender-based

' The Defendant asserts the proper employer-entity is the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508 County of Cook and State of Illinois doing business as City Colleges of Chicago aka Olive-Harvey College. (Dkt. No. 22, § 3). For ease of reference and clarity the Court throughout refers to the Defendant simply as City Colleges. However, after a review of similar cases, the Court directs the Clerk of the Court to change the caption to reflect that the appropriate Defendant is the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508 doing business as City Colleges of Chicago — Olive-Harvey College. See e.g., David v. Bd. of Comm. Coll. Dist. 508, 846 F.3d 216 (7th Cir. 2017).

discrimination claim. See (Dkt. No. 41). For the following reasons City Colleges’ Motion for Summary Judgment is granted. [41.] BACKGROUND For the purpose of this motion, the following facts are viewed in a light most favorable to the non-movant, Moore here, and all reasonable inferences are drawn in her favor. See Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 378 (2007); Horton v. Pobjecky, 883 F.3d 941, 948 (7th Cir. 2018). Established under the Illinois Public Community College Act, City Colleges is a body politic that maintains and operates seven Chicago-area college campuses including Olive-Harvey College. (Dkt. No. 43, at 94-5) (Defs. SOF.)? During the relevant period, City Colleges employed Angelia Millender (“Millender”) as President of Olive-Harvey College; Stephanie Tomino (“Tomino”) as Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources; Tia Robinson (“Robinson”) as Dean of Instruction; and Latasha Larry (“Larry”) as Director of Human Resources. /d. J 10-13, 32. Millender, Tomino, and Larry shared a role in the disciplinary review process at City Colleges. Id. 9§ 12, 13, 34. City Colleges utilizes a “District-Wide Employee Manual” containing “Work Rules” that all employees are expected to follow. /d. | 14; (Dkt. No. 44, Ex. C, at 241-46) (Exs. to Def.’s SOF.) All faculty employees are represented by [t]he Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600 AFT, AFL-CIO, which negotiated a Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) mandating the faculty to “abide by [City Colleges] policies and Work Rules—including Ethics Rules that are a part of the Employee Manual.” /d. 16-18; Ex. C, at 228-40.

? Dkt. No. 43 is Defendant’s Local Rule 56.1 Statement of Facts; Dkt. Nos. 44 & 45 are Exhibits in support of Defendant’s Local Rule 56.1 Statement of Facts; Dkt. No. 50 is Plaintiff's Local Rule 56.1 Statement of Additional Facts; and Dkt. No. 51 is Plaintiff's Response to Defendant’s Statement of Facts.

The CBA contains an “Academic Freedom” section that contains two clauses: the first of which entitles faculty members to “freedom in the classroom in discussing [a given] subject ...; and a second section that gives faculty “the individual right and responsibility to determine course content and textbooks subject to the applicable written departmental and College policy procedure.” (Dkt. No. 50, at § 47 (PI.’s SOAF); Dkt. No. 44, Ex. C, at 59) (emphasis added.) As part of the departmental and College-wide policy, the Work Rules included the following prohibitions: 12. Engaging in a profession, business trade investment, occupation or other activity that results in a conflict of interest with present CCC employment. 21. Using one’s official status as a public employee to effectuate the sale, disposal or exchange of property or other object of value belonging to any member of the public through fraud, theft or misrepresentation or complicity with others in such acts. 44. Violation of the CCC Ethics Policy. 48. Violation of departmental or College rules and regulations, including but not limited to departmental or College rules and regulations on telephone and computer usage. 50. Conduct unbecoming a public employee. Id. As they relate to Work Rule 44, the Ethics Policy includes two relevant provisions: (1) a “Fiduciary Responsibility” section stating that faculty “shall at all times in the performance of their duties owe a fiduciary responsibility to the Board, to the students of the District and to the residents of the District;” and (2) a “Conflicts of Interest” section stating “[n]o employee or Board member shall make or participate in making of any decision or take any action with respect to any matter in which he has any special interest,” wherein the term “special interest” is defined as “any ‘economic’ or other ‘interest that is in any way distinguishable from the interests of the public generally ...”” (Dkt. No. 43, at 921-22; Dkt. No. 44, Ex. C, at 232-33, 236.)

Moore started working as a full-time faculty member at Olive-Harvey campus in 2001. (Dkt. No. 43, at 77.) She taught in the African-American Studies Department and eventually became the Department Chair in August 2014. /d. 7 8. Her disciplinary history is limited but includes verbal and written warnings for failure to complete mandatory Ethics Training in 2010, and discipline for a verbal altercation with a student in 2012. /d. J 22-23; (Dkt. No. 50, 58.) In contrast, City Colleges appointed Moore to the Reinvention task-force in the Spring 2013 semester where she reviewed mathematics and English curriculums in order to “revamp and improve” them. (Dkt. No. 50, at § 46; Dkt. No. 50, Ex. A, at § 3 (Moore Affidavit.) Outside of her role as professor and Department Chair, Moore is the editor, publisher, and copyright owner of Violets: A Collection of Inspirational Poems by the Women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated (“Violets”). (Dkt. No. 43, at § 25.) Given her authorship and ownership, she receives 70-percent of the revenue as royalties from sales of Violets. Id. J 29. As the Chair of the African-American Studies Department Moore possessed decision- making powers including selection of required reading materials for courses such as an Afro- American Studies 101 course taught by her and other adjunct professors. /d. J] 27, 30, 44; (Dkt. No. 50, at 949). In 2014, Moore made Violets required reading for the Afro-American Studies 101 courses and, as a result, sold 208 copies to Olive-Harvey students; netting her an estimated $4,400.57 during the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters. See (Dkt. No. 43, at 28, 30-31); see also (Dkt. No. 44, Ex. C, at 8) (Moore Dep.).

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