Perkins v. Kushla Water District

21 F. Supp. 3d 1250, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66099, 2014 WL 1922789
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Alabama
DecidedMay 14, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-00286-KD-B
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 21 F. Supp. 3d 1250 (Perkins v. Kushla Water District) 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
Perkins v. Kushla Water District, 21 F. Supp. 3d 1250, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66099, 2014 WL 1922789 (S.D. Ala. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

KRISTI K. DuBOSE, District Judge.

Eric Myree Perkins claims that based on his race (African-American) he was discriminated against by Kushla Water District, Chairman of the Board William Silver, and employees Roy King and James Todd concerning the terms and conditions of his employment. Perkins also contends that he was subjected to a racially hostile work environment and retaliated against for filing án EEOC complaint.

The matter is now before the Court on the motion for summary judgment filed by defendants Kushla Water District, William Silver, Roy King, and James Todd (the defendants) (does. 38-42), the response in opposition and documents in support filed by pro se1 plaintiff Eric [1255]*1255Myree Perkins (Perkins) (doc. 44), and the defendants’ reply (doc. 47). Upon consideration, and for the reasons stated herein, the defendants’ motion is GRANTED.2

I. Findings of Fact3, 4

The Kushla Water District (the District) is “a public utility organized pursuant to the laws of the State of Alabama.” (Doc. 16, p. 1) The District is a “non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Alabama to provide rural water service in a portion of Mobile County.” (Doc. 41-1, p. 2) The District is operated under the direction of an eight-member Board of Directors (the Board). Defendant William Silver is the Chairman of the Board. The District has always had less than fifteen (15) employees. (Doc. 41-1, ¶ 5)

Perkins who is African-American applied for a position as a Water Operator Trainee.5 The Board’s Personnel Committee at the time Perkins was interviewed consisted of three Board members: Nathaniel Cotton (African-American), Archie Wright (African-American), and Tommy Vice (Caucasian). (Doc. 41-1, Affidavit of William Silver, ¶¶-2-5) The Board approved hiring Perkins as a Water Operator Trainee at the October 11, 2011 meeting. Perkins was also hired to read the water meters. When Perkins was employed he was the only non-white employee. (Doc. 15, p. 4) At the same meeting the Board also hired Lenora George as a secre[1256]*1256tary/bookkeeper and Larry Smith as a part-time employee for relief in the office6 and meter reading. (Doc. 41-1, Silver Affid. at ¶¶ 2-5: Doc. 41-1, p. 9)

The District already employed defendant James Todd as the office manager, defendant Roy King, a “contract employee” as the Superintendent, Charles Skip-worth as a part-time meter reader, and William Joe Manley as a full-time employee.7 (Id., ¶¶ 5-6, Doc. 41-2, Affidavit of Roy King).

Perkins began work on November 3, 2011. On December 7, 2011, Defendant Todd issued an Employee Warning Notice to Perkins. The Notice indicates that the “Type of Violation” was “time allowed for meters.” The word “warning” was marked through and the word “interview” written in. “Oral” was checked. The interview lasted 8 minutes. Defendant Todd signed as “Supervisor” and the “action to be taken” was that Todd would “observe future performance.” Perkins wrote on the warning: “This is my first introduction/discussion on this matter. I would like an opportunity to clean up some sites before reading again.” (Doc. 44, p. 21)

On December 8, 2011, Perkins showed the Notice to King. (Doc. 44, p. 11) King told Perkins8 that Todd was “not supposed to” “write up” Perkins. (Id, p. 11-12). King expressed his opinion that Todd should have discussed the matter with King before he gave the Notice to Perkins since King was Perkins’ immediate supervisor. (Id, p. 12-13)9 Perkins acknowledged that when he was hired, he was told that meter reading would be one of his responsibilities. (Id, p. 12) King contacted Board Members and Personnel Committee members Vice and Wright to clarify that he was Perkins’ supervisor. (Id, p. 12-14) King also discussed with Vice and Wright that this was Perkins first time to read meters, that he was not going to read fast, that Perkins took an extra day, and that he did not think it was right for Todd to issue the Notice. (Id, p. 12-14)

Perkins worked from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. during the first six months of employment. (Doc. 44, p. 19) On meter reading days, Perkins hours were initially 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Doc. 41-1, p. 5). In May 2012, Perkins hours were changed to 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., when King instructed Perkins that he had to take a thirty-minute lunch and leave at 4:30 p.m. (Doc. 41-2, p. 3) At the July 24, 2012 Personnel Committee meeting, Perkins complained that his hours were changed. King responded that the Board had set the hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. with a thirty-minute lunch. (Doc. 44, p. 18)

The District has a cell phone usage policy that all employees are required to read and sign. (Doc. 41-3, George Affid. at ¶ 6) On July 24, 2012, King brought Perkins before the Personnel Committee for refusing to sign the District’s cell phone usage policy. (Doc. 44, p. 16) Perkins signed the policy that day. (Doc. 41-3, p. 8) There is [1257]*1257no record of any personnel action taken against Perkins for initially refusing to. sign the policy.

There is no evidence that Larry Smith, who was hired at the same time as Perkins, ever signed a cell phone policy. However, Lenora George also signed the policy on July 24, 2012. (Doc. 41-3, p. 7) Before Perkins was hired, Skipworth and Manley had signed the policy on March 31, 2009, and former employee Rachel Win-slett had signed the policy on March 26, 2010. (Doc. 41-3, p. 4-6) Todd signed the policy on September 20, 2012. (Doe. 41-3, p. 9) Another employee who was hired after Perkins, Daryl Taylor signed the policy,on November 16, 2012. (Doc. 41-3, p. 10)'

On August 22, 2012, Perkins filed a Charge of Discrimination based on race with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Doc. 41-6) Perkins complained that he had been harassed by his supervisors and co-workers and cited a list of complaints including not being certified by King for the Water Operator position, receiving the December 2011 write-up and having King fill his personnel file with rumors and lies, having his work hours changed, being required to sign the cell phone policy and the failure of the District to enforce the cell phone policy. Perkins also claimed that he, not Larry Smith, was hired to work in the office. (Doc. 41-6)10

On September 14, 2012, Silver, King and Todd signed a memorandum to Perkins and Manley which set forth as follows:

Board Policy has set your work hours as follows: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 with a 30 minute lunch.
It has also set the meter reading hours as 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a 30 minute break on the meter reading route.11

(Doc. 41-1, p. 11) The memorandum also states that Todd would supervise Perkins and Manley as to their meter reading duties.

On September 19, 2012, Todd issued Perkins an Employee Warning Notice. The Notice indicates that Perkins was late for work and “did not report until 6:45 a.m.”, failed to follow instructions because he “did not install and use platform on rear bumper of truck” and violated company policies because he “did not take lunch period during the day while on route as required” and “left work at 2:30 p.m.” Perkins did not sign this Notice. (Doc.

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21 F. Supp. 3d 1250, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66099, 2014 WL 1922789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perkins-v-kushla-water-district-alsd-2014.