O'Rourke v. Hampshire Council of Governments

121 F. Supp. 3d 264, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103931, 2015 WL 4719866
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedAugust 7, 2015
DocketCivil Action No. 14-30216-MGM
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 121 F. Supp. 3d 264 (O'Rourke v. Hampshire Council of Governments) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Rourke v. Hampshire Council of Governments, 121 F. Supp. 3d 264, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103931, 2015 WL 4719866 (D. Mass. 2015).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER REGARDING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM

MASTROIANNI, United States District Judge

I. Introduction

John O’Rourke (“Plaintiff’), proceeding pro se, brings this action against the Hampshire Council Governments, as well as individual members of the Executive Committee of the Council — William R. Barnett, Eileen Stewart, Carol P. Constant, Michael P. Sarsynski, George A. Symborski, and Todd D. Ford, in their official capacities (together, “Defendants”). On April 2, 2015, Defendants moved to dismiss Plaintiffs complaint. (Dkt No. 15.) Plaintiff opposed this motion on May 11, 2015. (Dkt. No. 20.) The court took this motion under advisement without a hearing. (Dkt. No. 22.)

After reviewing the parties’ submissions and the relevant law, the court denies Defendants’ motion to dismiss with respect to Plaintiffs 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim (Count I), Plaintiffs Conspiracy to Violate 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim (Count IV), and Plaintiffs breach of contract claim (Count II). Assuming Plaintiff has not conceded his Open Meeting Law claim (Count III), the court will grant Defendants’ motion to dismiss this claim without prejudice.

II. Plaintiff’s Factual Allegations

On February 6, 2012, Plaintiff entered into a written employment agreement with the Hampshire Council of Governments (the “Council”) to serve as the Council’s Director of Electricity. (Dkt. No 1, Complaint (“Compl.”) ¶ 13.) This agreement provides that “[a]ll provisions of the ... regulations and rules of the Council relating to personnel policy ... as they now exist or hereafter may be amended ... [268]*268shall apply to [Plaintiff].” (CompLEx. A.1). Plaintiff was given the aforementioned Council’s Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual (the “Personnel Manual”), which set forth the specific terms and conditions of his employment, describing itself as a “covenant between the employer and employee.”1 (CompLEx. C. 2.) The Personnel Manual discusses, inter alia, the purpose of, length of, and protocol for discharge during, an employee’s probationary period. In relevant part, it specifically provides:

D. Probationary Period
1. Purpose
The probationary period shall be utilized to observe an employee’s work performance, 'including competency, habits, abilities,' attitudes, and any other pertinent characteristic) to allow for an effective evaluation of a new employee.' ■
2. Length of probation
a) Each new employee ... shall be required to' complete satisfactorily a six-month probationary period....
b) The probationary period may be extended by the Department Head, with approval of the Executive Director, for up to six additional months if it is felt to be justified and that it could allow the employee to develop the ability to perform the duties of the position satisfactorily....
3. Termination while on probation
At any time during the probationary period, an employee may be terminated without cause by the Department - Head, with approval of the Executive Director

(CompLEx. C. 8.) On or about August 7, 2012, this probationary period expired for Mr. O’Rourke. Id. ¶ 22.) The Personnel Manual later describes the protocol for discharging a non-probationary employee or Department Head, stating:

4.Discharge
a) The Executive Director with the Department Head may discharge an employee for unsatisfactory job performance, violation of Council’s rules and regulations, or for any situation or instance of such seriousness that discharge is warranted.
b) The Executive Director, with an Executive Committee member, may discharge a Department Head for unsatisfactory’ job performance, violation of Council’s rules and regulations, or for any situation or instance of such seriousness that discharge is warranted.
c)‘ An employee shall be given written notice of the discharge signed by the appropriate Department Head and Executive Director specifying:
• the date of discharge;
• the specific behavior and dates of the behavior, as appropriate;
• the right to appeal the discharge and the grievance procedures ■ to follow for an appeal.
d) A copy of the notice of discharge shall be placed in the employer’s personnel file.

(Id. Ex. C.28.)

During the summer of 2013, the Council’s Executive Committee met in private [269]*269at several points.2 (Id. ¶ 27.) On August 15, 2013, the Executive Council unanimously voted in favor of discharging Plaintiff. (Id.) On August 19, 2013, Plaintiff was notified the Executive Council made the decision to terminate him, and that his discharge was effective immediately. (Id. ¶ 33.) Plaintiff did not receive any prior notification that he was to be dismissed; he was not invited to speak on his own behalf prior to the dismissal. (Id. ¶ 35.)

Plaintiff then sent the Executive Committee a request seeking an opportunity to be heard regarding his discharge. (Id. ¶ 36.) On August 28, 2013, the Chairman of the Executive committee denied Plaintiffs request for a hearing and instructed him to direct any future correspondence to the Council’s attorneys. ( Id. ¶ 37.) On September 5, 2013, Plaintiff met with a Council member and an attorney for the Council and requested a hearirig regarding his termination. (Id. ¶ 38.) These individuals told Plaintiff, for the first time, that his dismissal was “not for cause,” and therefore that the procedural protections set forth in the Personnel Manual governing the discharging of Department Heads were “not applicable.” (Id.) On that same day, Plaintiff emailed the Council member and the attorney for the Council with whom he had met, again • requesting a hearing. (Id. ¶ 39.) A few hours later, oh September 5, 2013, Plaintiff was notified he could appear before the Executive Committee that evening, although he was also informed that the Executive Committee would not conduct an “executive session” for him. (Id. ¶ 40.) He therefore was only permitted to appear before the Executive Committee, in “open session” and under what he alleges to have been “very restrictive conditions amounting to a gag order.” (Id.) Specifically, Plaintiff states he was “prohibited from questiqning or speaking about his dismissal, or the multiple violations of the Council’s, written policies, or the multiple violations of law surrounding his dismissal.” (Id.)

On September 9, 2013, Plaintiff received a letter from the Council’-s attorney; stating that, since he had been dismissed “not for cause,” “the procedure for discharging a Department Head outlined in the amended Personnel Manual” waá “inapplicable and is not available to” Plaintiff. (Id,

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Bluebook (online)
121 F. Supp. 3d 264, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103931, 2015 WL 4719866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/orourke-v-hampshire-council-of-governments-mad-2015.