Quigley v. United Airlines, Inc.

District Court, N.D. California·Decided June 24, 2021·No. 3:21-cv-00538·Unknown

Opinion

MICHAEL QUIGLEY, Case No. 3:21-cv-00538-WHO

Plaintiff, ORDER ON MOTION FOR v. JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS

UNITED AIRLINES, INC., et al., Re: Dkt. No. 28 Defendants.

Plaintiff Michael Quigley worked as a flight attendant for defendant United Airlines, Inc. (“United”). He alleges discrimination, harassment, and related claims based on disability. United moves for judgment on the pleadings (based on a failure to state a claim) on three of Quigley’s claims: hostile work environment harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress (“IIED”), and negligent supervision. The harassment claim is plausibly pleaded and survives. Quigley has abandoned his defense of the IIED claim based on his repeated failure to respond to United’s argument despite explicit warnings, so it is dismissed with prejudice. The negligent supervision claim is inadequately pleaded, but dismissal is with leave to amend because it appears possible that Quigley can cure the deficiencies. Plaintiff Michael Quigley, a Florida resident, was employed by United as a flight attendant beginning in 1996. First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) [Dkt. No. 20] ¶¶ 1, 11. In October 2018, Quigley had a heart attack and was approved to take medical leave until December 2018. Id. ¶ 14a. He alleges that, before he went on leave, he was “primarily assigned to international flights.” returned from medical leave, though, he alleges that he was “exclusively” assigned to domestic flights, which gave him only four in-flight hours per flight. Id. In January 2019, Quigley was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Id. ¶ 14b. He also references having depression and anxiety. Id. ¶ 14c. He took medication for these conditions and “openly discussed his condition and need to take medicine with his colleagues, including Paul [Dhesi], and Mindy Drake.” Id. According to Quigley, he “discovered [Dhesi] and Drake emptying 2 bottles of red wine into their own receptacles”; he confronted them about it and Dhesi alleged told Quigley, “[g]o take your pills!” Id. ¶ 14d. He asserts that this “deeply offended” him. Id. After that, he claims that he “regularly found himself being shunned and ostracized by his coworkers,” “felt unwelcomed in the workplace,” and “often found it difficult to perform his job duties, as he was required to collaborate with these colleagues.” Id. In late January, Quigley went on medical leave for his bipolar disorder. Id. ¶ 14e. He alleges that he informed now-dismissed defendant Robert Smith, a United inflight manager, and United’s benefits manager that he would be doing so. Id. The leave was set to last until May 29. Id. In April 2019, Smith allegedly called Quigley and, as Quigley puts it, “coldly said, ‘How are you? By the way, we still need to have a meeting.’” Id. ¶ 14f (emphasis removed). As I noted in my previous Order on Motion to Dismiss (“Prior Order”) [Dkt. No. 16], “[i]t is unclear what this meeting was supposed to entail.” Prior Order 2. Quigley still does not reveal that information. He does say that the meeting was supposed to take place in January 2019 but was cancelled because of the medical leave. FAC ¶ 14f. Quigley says that because “Smith was trying to reschedule the meeting while he was still on leave, Quigley protested, ‘no I am on medical leave.’” Id. (emphasis removed). Smith allegedly also “referenced” Quigley not returning previous phone calls about that meeting; Quigley repeated that he was on leave and so did not respond. Id. Two days before his medical leave was set to end, Quigley applied for long-term disability leave through Prudential, which United uses as an administrator for that benefit. Id. ¶ 14g. According to Quigley, United “made a mistake and informed Prudential that Quigley’s first date Prudential denied Quigley’s disability leave because it was not the third-party administrator for . . . December 2018.” Id. Quigley was “devastated” by this denial. Id. Quigley’s medical leave was then extended to August 16, 2019. Id. ¶ 14h. When August came, Quigley’s disability benefits ran out because of the error referenced above. Id. ¶ 14i. As a result, Quigley’s health insurance was terminated. Id. Quigley alleges that he asked an employee of United to fix the paperwork at least four times. Id. At some point, Smith also again tried to fill out the paperwork but “made the same mistake.” Id. Although, as noted, Quigley says his health insurance was already terminated, he also claims that Smith’s second alleged error caused his health insurance and disability benefits to be terminated. Id. This negatively impacted his ability (Quigley does not allege to what extent) to treat his “HIV, stress, anxiety, depression, and bipolarism” and meant that he could not afford to see a doctor. Id. In September 2019, Quigley told United that he was sick but could not afford to go to the doctor. Id. ¶ 14j. He alleges that United required him to provide a doctor’s note to continue taking leave. Id. He claims that he informed United employees about his inability to afford medication, treat his HIV, or go to the doctor. Id. Quigley contends that United (he does not say which employee) once again tried to schedule the meeting that had been cancelled. Id. ¶ 14k. In October 2019, administrative supervisor Kathy O’Brien sent Quigley an email, as he characterizes it, “accusing him of being non-compliant with his medical leave since September 1, 2019 because he had not provided additional documentation to extend his medical leave.” Id. ¶ 14l. She asked Quigley to submit documentation. Id. Quigley replied, explained the situation, and said that he could not afford to get a doctor’s note. Id. ¶ 14m. O’Brien reiterated that he needed to submit the proper paperwork and told Quigley, “I’m requesting that you provide the medical documentation to support your absence. Unfortunately, this will be followed by a written directive as well.” Id. ¶ 14n (internal quotation marks and emphasis omitted). That day, Quigley received a performance warning for failing to provide the documentation for this leave and leave in 2017 and 2018. Id. ¶ 14o. In late October, United scheduled the meeting with Quigley with “a few days’ notice” but he was not able to attend due to illness. Id. ¶ 14p. whom I previously dismissed from the suit as fraudulently joined. Id. ¶ 15a; Prior Order 10. He claims that he has suffered various damages, including in lost income and benefits and psychological and emotional distress. FAC ¶¶ 16–18. Quigley filed his original complaint in state court against United, Smith, and Jacobsen. Smith was never served. Prior Order 8. United and Jacobsen removed the case to this Court, Dkt. No. 1, and moved to dismiss, Dkt. No. 10. Quigley did not move to remand the case. In the Prior Order, I dismissed Jacobsen from the suit as fraudulently joined: the only thing she was alleged to have done was transmit the termination letter, which was not actionable harassment or IIED. Prior Order 10. United also moved to dismiss most of the claims as preempted by the Railway Labor Act; while I agreed with it that two breach of contract claims were preempted, I otherwise denied that portion of its motion. I agreed with United, however, that all the claims it challenged failed to state a claim on which relief could be granted. Accordingly, I dismissed most of the claims with leave to amend. Quigley filed his FAC on March 19, 2021. It contains nine causes of action against United: (1) discrimination in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”); (2) hostile work environment harassment in violation of FEHA; (3) retaliation in violation of FEHA; (4) failure to provide a reasonable accommodation in violation of FEHA; (5) failure to engage in the interactive process in violation of FEHA; (6) failure to prevent discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; (7) negligent hiring, supervision, or retention; (8) wrongful termination in violation of public policy; and (9) IIED. The same day the FAC was fi

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