Rieger v. Group Health Ass'n

851 F. Supp. 788, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6325
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedMay 2, 1994
DocketNo. EC 91-218-D-D
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 851 F. Supp. 788 (Rieger v. Group Health Ass'n) 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
Rieger v. Group Health Ass'n, 851 F. Supp. 788, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6325 (N.D. Miss. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

WINGATE, District Judge.

Before the court are various motions submitted by the defendants wherein they urge the court to dismiss plaintiffs claims against them pursuant to Rules 56,1 12(b)(1) and (b)(6),2 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Charging that the defendants have violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (hereinafter “ADEA”), 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq., the plaintiff invokes the jurisdiction of this court under 28 U.S.C. § 13313 and 29 U.S.C. § 216.4

Defendants’ Rule 56 motion attacks the entirety of plaintiffs ease. Plaintiff Darold L. Rutland, formerly a deputy general counsel with the Mississippi Department of Human Services (hereinafter “DHS”), contends that the defendants violated the ADEA when the Attorney General for the State of Mississippi refused to continue plaintiffs employment in the DHS legal department, after the Attorney General assumed responsibility for DHS’s legal services pursuant to a contract between the Attorney General and DHS. The defendants’ Rule 56 motion is predicated upon 29 U.S.C. § 630(f),5 the personal staff [796]*796exemption of the ADEA. Specifically, defendants aver that attorneys employed by the Attorney General as Special Assistant Attorneys General (sometimes “Special Assistants”) fall within the purview of the exemption because they are personal staff members who make state legal policy and advise the Attorney General with respect to the exercise of the constitutional or legal powers of his office. Plaintiff opposes the motion and seeks a holding directly contrary to defendants’ urging, namely that the Special Assistants are not covered by the personal staff exemption. The court’s view of this debate favors the defendants. Hence, the court grants summary judgment to defendants, holding that the personal staff exemption found at 29 U.S.C. § 630(f) applies to Special Assistant Attorneys General for the State of Mississippi, and that, commensurately, plaintiff is precluded from furthering this lawsuit against the defendants under the ADEA. The court’s reasoning on this matter is set out in Part II of this opinion.

Separate and apart from defendants’ Rule 56 motion, individual defendants Robert Gibbs, Anne Sapp, and Beatrice Branch urge the court pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and (6) to dismiss all of plaintiffs claims against them on the ground that since these defendants never “employed” the plaintiff, these defendants are not “employers” within the meaning of the ADEA. Accordingly, say Gibbs, Sapp, and Branch, plaintiffs complaint against them is devoid of subject matter jurisdiction over them and, additionally, fails to state a cognizable claim. Notwithstanding plaintiffs protestations to the contrary, this court is persuaded by defendants’ argument and in Part III of this opinion explains why the court is granting defendants’ motion on this point as well.

The third motion before the court is a separate motion brought on behalf of the DHS under Rule 12(b)(6). DHS says that plaintiff has failed to state an actionable claim against it because DHS merely transferred plaintiff and six other members of DHS’ legal staff to the staff of the Attorney General pursuant to DHS/Attorney General contract for legal services executed by the two and that DHS had no role in plaintiffs termination. Impressed by DHS’ argument on the point, the court grants DHS’ motion and explains the basis for the ruling in Part IV of this opinion.

FACTS: PARTI

The pertinent facts of this dispute are easily discerned from the submitted affidavit of the Attorney General for the State of Mississippi, Mike Moore; the affidavit of Deputy Attorney General Robert Gibbs; and that of plaintiff, Darold L. Rutland. Basically congruent relative to the material background facts, the affidavits collectively tell the following story.

Plaintiff Darold L. Rutland, a member of the Mississippi State Bar, up until the time of the dispute which forms the basis of this lawsuit, had spent the vast majority of his legal career as an attorney for various agencies of the State of Mississippi. After private practice following law school, Rutland spent approximately seven (7) years with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety before his ambitious eye focused upon the Department of Public Welfare, as it was then known. Following his request for a transfer, in July of 1982, Rutland was offered a staff attorney position with the Department of Public Welfare in its legal division. Later, in January of 1988, Rutland was promoted to Deputy General Counsel for the Mississippi Department of Public Welfare, which subsequently was re-named the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

On August 10, 1989, DHS entered into a contract with the Office of the Attorney General for that office to afford DHS day-to-day legal services. The inter-agency contract was signed by Mike Moore, Attorney General, and John Cook, Deputy Director for Programs with DHS. The terms of the contract stated that its period of performance was to begin on July 1,1989, and to end on June 30, 1990. As consideration for the performance of the contract, DHS agreed to pay to the Office of the Attorney General (referred to as “OAG”) the sum of $571,924.43. Provisions [797]*797of the contract pertinent to this litigation are set out below:

A. Statement of Work
1. ...
2. Services
a. This contract includes a number of attorneys, specified below, on the OAG staff who shall work under the direction and supervision of the Attorney General, and at the will and pleasure of the Attorney General, (emphasis added) Department of Human Services
There will be eleven attorneys employed by OAG pursuant to this Contract. As specified below, three (8) attorneys will be assigned to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitative Services and one (1) attorney will be assigned to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind. The remaining attorneys will be assigned to DHS as a whole. The attorneys’ day-to-day activities will be directed by a section head who will be appointed by the Attorney General, (emphasis added)
C. Consideration and Payment
1. ...
2. Personnel
a. The Attorney General, as Chief Legal Officer for the State of Mississippi, will secure at his office expense, all personnel required in performing this Contract. Such personnel shall not be employees of or have any other contractual relationship with DHS. (emphasis added)
D. Termination of Contract
1. Termination by OAG

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Related

Rieger v. Group Health Ass'n
851 F. Supp. 788 (N.D. Mississippi, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
851 F. Supp. 788, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6325, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rieger-v-group-health-assn-msnd-1994.