Nueces County Hospital District v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

371 F. Supp. 1126, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12105, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9240, 7 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 910
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedFebruary 26, 1974
DocketCiv. A. 73-C-52
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 371 F. Supp. 1126 (Nueces County Hospital District v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nueces County Hospital District v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 371 F. Supp. 1126, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12105, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9240, 7 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 910 (S.D. Tex. 1974).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

OWEN D. COX, District Judge.

This cause of action involves the jurisdiction of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to issue a subpoena ad testificandum/duces tecum for certain records of the Nueces County Hospital District (hereafter called District) . The subpoena was served on John W. Gover, Director of Personnel of the District, which is a political subdivision of the State of Texas. The District, along with Gover, as Plaintiffs, have sued to set aside the subpoena. The Defendant Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (hereafter called Commission) wants it enforced. The parties have stipulated to all material facts. This matter is submitted to the Court for its decision as to the legal issues involved. The facts must be set forth in some detail.

1. On or about March 7, 1973, Marta Glueck filed a charge with the Commission, alleging that the District had discriminated against her with regard to promotions and salary; and, also, in placing her upon probation because of her race or color, national origin, or sex.

2. On March 7, 1973, the Commission, in accordance with 42 U.S.C., § 2000e-5(b), mailed the District’s Personnel Director, John Gover, notice of the charge filed by Marta Glueck.

3. .On March 20, 1973, Marta Glueck was discharged from her employment with the District.

4. On March 22, 1973, Marta Glueck filed a second charge with the Commission, alleging that the District had discharged her in retaliation of her filing the original charge, in violation of Section 2000e-3(a).

5. On March 23, 1973, the Commission mailed notice of the second charge to John Gover, in his official capacity with the District, and such notice was received on or about March 26,1973.

6. Shortly thereafter, meetings were held between representatives of the Commission and the District, at which the District declined to provide the representative of the Commission with documents requested. The District took the position that deferral by the Commission to state authority was required by 42 U.S.C., § 2000e-5(c).

7. On April 10, 1973, the Commission issued the subpoena ad testificandum/duces tecum at issue to John Gover, pursuant to Section 2000e-9, directing John Gover to appear before the Commission in San Antonio on April 26, 1973, and to bring certain specified documents with him.

8. On April 11, 1973, the District filed with the Director of Compliance of such Commission a motion to revoke and/or modify such subpoena.

9. On April 23, 1973, the District, having received no reply from the Director of Compliance, filed this cause of action to set aside the subpoena, pursuant to Section 2000e-9. Thereafter, the Director of Compliance denied Plaintiff’s request for revocation and/or modification of the subpoena.

At this point, we need to consider the deferral language “of” said Section 2000e-5(c), which reads, in part:

“In the case of an alleged unlawful employment practice occurring in a State or political subdivision of a State, which has a State or local law prohibiting the unlawful employment practice alleged, and establishing or authorizing a State or local authority to grant or seek relief from such practice, ... no charge may be filed . by the person aggrieved before the expiration of sixty days after proceedings have been commenced *1128 under the State or local law, . . . (Emphasis added.)

Now, this Court’s problem is whether or not deferral by the Commission to the State is required here. If so, Marta Glueck, who is allegedly aggrieved, must proceed first under the laws of Texas. The District contends the Texas statute prohibiting discrimination by public employers against persons because of their race, religion, col- or, sex, or national origin, to wit, Article 6252-16, Vernon’s Ann.Texas St., 1 is sufficient. It does, the District says, provide a remedy for discrimination by public employers, such as that alleged by Marta Glueck, and, thus, the Commission should not have taken charge when it did. If it should have deferred, it was without jurisdiction in this matter by virtue of 42 U.S.C., § 2000e-5(c). This Court is in agreement with the District’s contention.

The Commission contends that Section 2000e-5(c) does not require deferral to all state authorities. It says the federal regulations provide a procedure whereby a state authority charged with eliminating discriminatory employment practices may apply to the Commission for “deferral status” and that such regulations provide for a state authority to receive “deferral status” only if the statute under which it operates is as comprehensive, both in terms of acts prohibited and remedies available, as Title VII (42 U.S.C., § 2000e-1 et seq.). There is no stipulation that any Texas agency — state or local — has applied to the Commission for “deferral status.” Moreover, it is doubtful that any application would be approved, because, according to the Commission, the Texas statute does not give the District Attorneys and/or County Attorneys authority to exercise administrative enforcement; is not comparable in scope to Title VII in that it covers only public employers; and it does not provide administrative machinery to process complaints other than by the institution of criminal proceedings. Therefore, the Commission argues, there was no requirement that Marta Glueck seek relief under Article 6252-16 before filing her charge with the Commission. The problem with the Commission’s Con *1129 tentions is that nothing in the language of § 2000e-5(c) (d), the legislative history, or the case law, supports them.

The applicable language of § 2000e-5(c) provides for deferral for sixty days if, “ . . . [in any] State, which has a State or local law prohibiting the unlawful . . . practice alleged” and authorizing a state or local authority to either seek relief from the discrimination, “or to institute criminal proceedings with respect thereto upon receiving notice thereof” (emphasis added). Marta Glueck’s complaint alleged she had been discriminated against with regard to promotions and salary. The Texas statute, Article 6252-16, makes it unlawful for a public employer, such as Plaintiff, to discriminate by reason of race, religion, color, sex, or national origin in several listed employment practices. Certainly, Section 1(a)(7) of the Texas statute, making it illegal to refuse to grant a benefit to a person by reason of the person’s race, religion, sex, or national origin, would include the refusal to promote a person or pay an equal salary for equal work.' Her other complaint was that she had been placed on probation by reason of her sex or national origin. The remainder of Section 1(a)(7) of Article 6252-16 prohibits the imposing of an unreasonable burden upon a person by reason of sex or national origin. Placing a person on probation because of her sex or national origin so that she could not accumulate seniority would certainly be a violation of Section 1(a)(7). Therefore, Texas definitely has a state law prohibiting the discrimination complained of in this instance.

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371 F. Supp. 1126, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12105, 7 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 9240, 7 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 910, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nueces-county-hospital-district-v-equal-employment-opportunity-commission-txsd-1974.