Phillips v. Board of Trustees

218 F. Supp. 3d 1297, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152527, 2016 WL 6522493
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedNovember 3, 2016
DocketCase No.: 2:15-cv-01412-RDP
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 218 F. Supp. 3d 1297 (Phillips v. Board of Trustees) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Phillips v. Board of Trustees, 218 F. Supp. 3d 1297, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152527, 2016 WL 6522493 (N.D. Ala. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

R. DAVID PROCTOR, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

I. Introduction

This case is before the court on Defendant University of Alabama Health Services Foundation, P.C.’s (“UAHSF”) Motion for Summary Judgment. (Doc. # 33). The Motion is fully briefed. (Docs. # 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, and 41).

In her Complaint, Plaintiff alleges that, during her employment, she was subject to a retaliatory hostile environment, race discrimination, and other retaliation. (Doe. # 1). Plaintiff brought this action against two entities: UAHSF and The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (“the Board” or “UAB”). (Doc. # 1). UAB does not dispute that it was Plaintiffs employer. (Doc. #35). The question presented in UAHSF’s Motion is whether it was also Plaintiffs employer under either the single employer or joint employer theories.

II. Facts1

UAHSF is a private, section 501(c)(3) entity, located at 500 22nd Street, Bir[1301]*1301mingham, Alabama, 35233, whose President is Dr. James Bonner. (Doc. # 33-3 64, Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 3). It is governed by a board of directors, and 16 of those 19 directors have no affiliation with UAB. (Doc. # 33-3 62-63). The UAB School of Medicine is part of the University of Alabama System and is headquartered in Tuscaloosa. Ala. Code §§ 16-47-1, et. seq. UAB’s Medical School is governed by a Board of Trustees, and the members of the Board are appointed pursuant to state law. Id.

UAB and UAHSF have separate financial reporting, financial organizations, and payrolls. (Doc. #33-3 33; Doc. #33-4 ¶ 4). The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (“PM & R”) is located at the Spain Rehabilitation Center, 1717 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233. (Doc. #33-2 15-16, 71-72; Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 5).

Yvonne Akins is the Executive Administrator for PM & R and is paid by both UAB and UAHSF. (Doc. #33-3 14, 18, 25-26, 31). PM & R is a department of the UAB School of Medicine and the chair of that department, Dr. Amie McLain, reports directly to the Dean of the UAB School of Medicine. (Doc. # 33-3 14, 80). Dr. McLain is employed by both UAB and UAHSF, (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 6).

PM & R employs physicians who teach at the School of Medicine and do research, which is funded by monies received from the State and i-esearch grants. All of these monies are held in PM & R accounts which are maintained within the UAB Oracle accounting system. (Doc. #33-4 ¶7; Doc. # 33-3 61). PM & R physicians also have clinical duties and, as part of those duties, see patients. The funds generated by those activities are held in PM & R accounts maintained as part of the UAHSF Lawson accounting system. (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 8; Doc. # 33-3 59-60). The majority of PM & R physicians are dually-funded by UAB and UAHSF, have appointments with each entity, and receive separate paychecks from each entity. (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 9; Doc. # 33-2 37-39).

Akins supervises non-physician employees in PM & R, some of whom are UAB employees, who receive UAB payroll checks, and some of whom are UAHSF employees, who receive UAHSF paychecks. (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 10). UAB and UAHSF maintain separate human resources departments (Doc. # 33-2 88-89) and separate employment policies, including retirement plans. (Doc. # 33-3 33-34; Doc. # 33—4 ¶ 11). In supervising her UAB employees, Akins follows the UAB employment policies and procedures {e.g., paid time off, severance, discipline, and performance evaluation), consults UAB human resources regarding employment issues, and works with UAB payroll regarding employee pay and benefits. (Doc. # 334 ¶ 12). When Akins has a vacancy for a UAB position, she contacts UAB human resources and that department posts the position and helps her fill it. (Doc. # 334 ¶ 12).

In supervising her UAHSF employees, Akins follows the UAHSF employment policies and procedures {e.g., paid time off, severance, discipline, and performance evaluation), consults UAHSF human resources regarding employment issues, and works with UAHSF payroll regarding employee pay and benefits. (Doc. #334 ¶ 13). When Akins has a vacancy for a UAHSF position, she contacts UAHSF hu[1302]*1302man resources and that department posts the position and helps her fill it. (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 13).

For six years, Plaintiff worked as a Financial Officer III in PM & R, reporting directly to Akins. (Doc. # 33-2 14-16; Doc. # 33-3 18). The PM & R Financial Officer III position was established as a UAB position, posted as a UAB position, and its records are maintained within UAB’s human resources system. (Doc. #33-3 96). During the course of Plaintiff’s employment, Akins applied UAB’s policies and procedures to her, recommended pay increases through UAB’s payroll system, evaluated her under UAB’s performance evaluation system, and provided her benefits, like paid time off and severance, pursuant to UAB’s policies. (Doc. # 33—4 ¶ 14; Doc. # 33-3 74-75). However, in an effort to comply with state and federal employment laws, UAB and UAHSF have entered into an Affiliation Agreement in which they have agreed that their employment practices would be consistent. (Doc. # 33-3 13).

Plaintiff never filled out an application with UAHSF, nor does she recall receiving any UAHSF employee handbooks or any other UAHSF employment documents when she began as a Financial Officer III. (Doc. # 33-2 16-17). Plaintiff did not have a separate appointment with UAHSF. Her paychecks were issued by UAB, and she has not received a paycheck from UAHSF. (Doc. #33-3 23-24). Akins testified that Plaintiffs salary derived from one source—UAB. (Doc. # 33-3 43). For a period of approximately 11 or 12 months during the 2011-2012 timeframe, because of a shortfall in state funds, Akins transferred funds from a PM & R account that held money generated by PM & R physician clinical activities (that were held in a Lawson account) into a UAB account to make up a portion of Plaintiffs pay. (Doc. #33-3 43^5; Doc. #33-4 ¶ 16). These funds were transferred from HSF Finance from an account that was titled “Department of PMR.” (Doc. #33-2 at 40-50).

Plaintiff accumulated time as a UAB employee under its retirement program. (Doc. #33-2 17-18). Plaintiff has never received any retirement benefits from UAHSF and does not have a credited service date with HSF. (Doc. # 33-2 94-95). Plaintiff never sought assistance from UAHSF human resources. (Doc. #33-2 113).

When Akins decided to eliminate the Financial Officer III position in PM & R, she worked with UAB human resources and applied UAB’s severance policy. (Doc. # 33-4 -¶ 15). She did not consult UAHSF human resources or check on UAHSF policies. (Doc. # 33-4 ¶ 15). The termination letter Plaintiff received is on letterhead of the UAB School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is signed by McLain and Akins, and references her entitlement to severance pay pursuant to a UAB Personnel Policy. (Doc. # 33-2 71-72). Her severance pay slip indicated it was from UAB (Doc. # 33-2 93) and the funds came from an account in Oracle. (Doc. #33-2 106-107). After the elimination of her position, Plaintiff began a new job with the UAB School of Education. (Doc. # 33-2 94). She did not lose her credited service date with UAB. (Id.).

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218 F. Supp. 3d 1297, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152527, 2016 WL 6522493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phillips-v-board-of-trustees-alnd-2016.