Pegues v. Mississippi State Employment Service of Mississippi Employment Security Commission

61 F.R.D. 110, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 667, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12196, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8939
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedAugust 22, 1973
DocketNo. DC 72-4-S
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 61 F.R.D. 110 (Pegues v. Mississippi State Employment Service of Mississippi Employment Security Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pegues v. Mississippi State Employment Service of Mississippi Employment Security Commission, 61 F.R.D. 110, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 667, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12196, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8939 (N.D. Miss. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

ORMA R. SMITH, District Judge.

This action is before the court on motion of defendants John E. Aldridge (Aldridge), Executive Director of the Mississippi State Employment Service of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, and E. C. Lindsey (Lindsey), Manager.of the Bolivar County, Mississippi Office of the Mississippi State Employment Service, to dismiss this action in all respects as to them in their personal capacities, or for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56(c) F.R.Civ.P.

[111]*111The Mississippi State Employment Service of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission is a party defendant in the action. Aldridge is sued in his official capacity as Director of Mississippi State Employment Service.1 Lindsey is sued in his official capacity as Manager of the Bolivar County Office of the Mississippi State Employment Service.

Affidavits have been filed by the opposing parties. The court will consider the motion as for summary judgment, since it is necessary for the court to go outside the pleadings to determine the issue. See, Rule 12(c) F.R.Civ.P. The parties have submitted the motion on briefs without oral argument.

The Mississippi Employment Service Commission operates two primary organizations, one for administering unemployment compensation and the other for administering Mississippi State Employment Service.

The Governor of Mississippi appoints a three-man Mississippi Employment Security Commission (hereafter MESC). The authority for administering Mississippi State Employment Service (hereafter MSES) in Bolivar County flows from MESC to the Executive Director who is the overall Administrator; to the Director of MSES; to the area Supervisor for the Delta area; to the Center Manager at Clarksdale, Mississippi; to the Manager of the Cleveland Office; to the Supervisor over the Employment Interviewers, who classify, select and refer applicants. As has been noted, Aldridge is the overall Administrator of the Program, by virtue of his official capacity as Executive Director of MESC. Lindsey is the Manager and in charge of the Cleveland Office of MSES.

The complaint, filed Jan. 27, 1972, originally named MSES of MESC, Aldridge in his official capacity as Executive Director of MSES and Lindsey as Manager of the Bolivar County (Cleveland) Mississippi Office of MSES, as parties defendant. The action is a class action brought by nine black plaintiffs, to enforce the provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e et seq., the Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1981, and 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. The plaintiffs seek injunctive and other appropriate equitable relief, including back pay for themselves and members of the class which they seek to represent. After the commencement of the action, on motion of the original defendants, the court directed that James D. Hodgson, in his official capacity as Secretary of the United States Department of Labor (Secretary), be made a party defendant to the action.2

The plaintiffs thereupon moved the court for leave to file an amended complaint, naming the Secretary as a party defendant, and suing defendants Aldridge and Lindsey in their personal capacities. After securing permission from the court to do so, plaintiffs filed their amended complaint, seeking, inter alia, relief against Aldridge and Lindsey in their personal capacities. In their motion seeking an order of the court for leave to file the amended complaint, movants stated that they “had not foreseen the argument of the Mississippi State Employment Service that it would be unable to satisfy a monetary award from State funds, and this had made it necessary for [them] to add counts against defendants Aldridge and Lindsey in their personal capacities”. Ex[112]*112pressing the reason for adding Aldridge and Lindsey parties defendant in the action in their personal capacities in more direct language, plaintiffs’ real reason is to hold Aldridge and Lindsey liable for any monetary award to plaintiffs and members of their class which the court might find proper to be made on the trial of the action, should MSES be unable to respond to such an award from State funds.

In responding to the amended complaint, defendants Aldridge and Lindsey, in their personal capacities, have moved for a dismissal or summary judgment in their favor. They do not seek to be released from the action as defendants in their official capacities.

Plaintiffs allege in their amended complaint that each of them “has unsuccessfully sought employment by registering for job referrals with the Bolivar County Branch Office of the Mississippi State Employment Service, located at 327 Central Ave., Cleveland, Mississippi”. Plaintiffs charge that they and members of their class have been the victims of unlawful racial and sexual discrimination by the Cleveland Office of MSES, as the result of which plaintiffs and members of their class have been denied employment opportunities equal to those afforded males and members of the White race.

The amended complaint alleges that defendant Lindsey, as manager of the Cleveland, Mississippi Office of MSES, is responsible for discriminatory acts of MSES at said office, and that if he had properly discharged his duties as Manager such discrimination would not have occurred. As to Aldridge, the complaint is made that as Executive Director of MESC, he is responsible for the discriminatory acts of MSES at the Cleveland Office, and that if he had properly discharged his duties such discrimination would not have occurred. The complaint does not allege or charge that either Aldridge or Lindsey personally committed any act of unlawful or improper discrimination directed to plaintiffs or any member of their class. The charge is, as stated, that if Aldridge and Lindsey had properly performed the duties of their respective offices, the alleged discriminatory acts committed by employees of MSES in the Cleveland Office would not have occurred.

Plaintiffs also charge that MSES, Aldridge, Lindsey and others have conspired to deprive plaintiffs and members of their class the equal protection of the laws by depriving them of opportunities for employment because of their race and sex; that, having knowledge of the conspiracy, the Secretary permitted the conspiracy to .continue to the injury of plaintiffs and members of their class; and that all defendants, whether or not members of the conspiracy, had the power to prevent or aid in preventing the commission of the discriminatory acts by MSES at its Cleveland Office. Plaintiffs do not charge MSES, Aldridge, Lindsey, the Secretary, or any other person with any specific act in connection with the conspiracy or any overt act in regard thereto.

Basing their opinion on the premise that racial and sexual discrimination in the Cleveland Office could not have existed without the consent, approval or connivance of Aldridge and Lindsey, plaintiffs conclude that Aldridge and Lindsey participated in the unlawful and improper scheme adopted by the staff in the office to deny plaintiffs and members of their class equal employment opportunities on account of their race and sex. Plaintiffs do not seek to impose personal liability on the Secretary, but seek to impose such liability on both Aldridge and Lindsey.

Aldridge and Lindsey support their motion for summary judgment with their own affidavits.

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Bluebook (online)
61 F.R.D. 110, 6 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 667, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12196, 6 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 8939, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pegues-v-mississippi-state-employment-service-of-mississippi-employment-msnd-1973.