Rinallo v. CAPSA Solutions, LLC

222 F. Supp. 3d 927, 2016 WL 6963040, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 163311
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedNovember 28, 2016
Docket3:16-CV-00678-BR
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 222 F. Supp. 3d 927 (Rinallo v. CAPSA Solutions, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rinallo v. CAPSA Solutions, LLC, 222 F. Supp. 3d 927, 2016 WL 6963040, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 163311 (D. Or. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

ANNA J. BROWN, United States District Judge

This matter comes before the Court on the Motion (#6) to Dismiss of Defendant CAPSA Solutions, LLC. For the reasons that follow, the Court GRANTS Defendant’s Motion.

BACKGROUND

The following pertinent facts are taken from Plaintiffs Complaint and accepted as true for purposes of Defendant’s Motion.

Defendant CAPSA Solutions, LLC, hired Plaintiff Mia R. Rinallo as an Information Security/Regulatory Engineer on July 13, 2015.

During her employment Plaintiffs supervisor had the words “Pussy Riot” displayed on the white board in her office. At some point Plaintiff complained about the white board to her supervisor and to Defendant’s Human Resources department. After Plaintiff complained, her supervisor retaliated against her by “subjecting her to unwarranted criticism.” Compl. at ¶ 9.

On September 21, 2015, Plaintiff sustained a workplace injury. At some point Plaintiff reported the injury to Human Resources and filed a worker’s compensation claim.

Later Plaintiffs supervisor “subjected [Plaintiff] to an outburst of criticism,” and Plaintiff “went to the hospital with symptoms of acute stress.” Compl. at ¶ 13. On October 23, 2015, Plaintiff filed a second worker’s compensation claim that involved her supervisor’s “outburst of criticism.” Defendant terminated Plaintiff that same day.

On December 18, 2015, Plaintiff filed a Complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) in which she alleged she was terminated after she complained to her supervisor about the white board display and filed two worker’s compensation claims. Plaintiff asserted she believed she was terminated in retaliation for her “complaint about sexual harassment and my workers [sic] compensation claims.” Decl. of Katrina Mollenkopf, Ex. 1 at 5.

On March 3, 2016, BOLI issued to Plaintiff a Notice of Right to File Civil Suit in which BOLI advised Plaintiff that she had the right to file an action “within 90 days from the date of this letter.”

[929]*929On April 19, 2016, Plaintiff filed a Complaint in this Court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction in which she alleges she was wrongfully terminated by Defendant “for resisting sexual harassment in violation of common law and ORS 659A.199” and “for pursuing workers [sic] compensation claims in violation of ORS 659A.040.” Compl. at ¶¶ 15-16.

On August 8, 2016, a Summons was issued to Defendant. In its Motion Defendant states it received the Summons and Complaint on August 11, 2016.

On August 31, 2016, Defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss. The Court took Defendant’s Motion under advisement on October 19, 2016.

STANDARDS
To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain, sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to “state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” [Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544,] 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 [ (2007) ]. A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. Id. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955 .... The plausibility standard is not akin to a “probability requirement,” but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Ibid. Where a complaint pleads facts that are “merely consistent with” a defendant’s liability, it “stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of ‘entitlement to relief.’ ” Id. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (brackets omitted).

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). See also Bell Atlantic, 550 U.S. at 555-56, 127 S.Ct. 1955. The court must accept as true the allegations in the complaint and construe them in favor of the plaintiff. Din v. Kerry, 718 F.3d 856, 859 (9th Cir. 2013).

The pleading standard under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 “does not require ‘detailed factual allegations,’ but it demands more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). See also Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). “A pleading that offers ‘labels and conclusions’ or ‘a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.’ ” Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). A complaint also does not suffice if it tenders “naked assertion[s]” devoid of “further factual enhancement.” Id. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955.

“In ruling on a 12(b)(6) motion, a court may generally consider only allegations contained in the pleadings, exhibits attached to the complaint, and matters properly subject to judicial notice.” Akhtar v. Mesa, 698 F.3d 1202, 1212 (9th Cir. 2012)(citation omitted). A court, however, “may consider a writing referenced in a complaint but not explicitly incorporated therein if the complaint relies on the document and its authenticity is unquestioned.” Swartz v. KPMG LLP, 476 F.3d 756, 763 (9th Cir. 2007) (citation omitted).

DISCUSSION

Defendant moves to dismiss Plaintiffs claims on the grounds that her state statutory claims are time-barred, her wrongful-discharge claim is preempted, and she failed to serve Defendant timely.

I. Preliminary matter

Plaintiff states in her Response to Defendant’s Motion that Plaintiff brings her retaliation claim pursuant to Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-3(a), and Oregon Revised Statute § 659A.199 and that her federal [930]*930retaliation claim is not time-barred. In her Complaint, however, Plaintiff fails to allege any federal claim, and, in fact, the Complaint as a whole clearly reflects Plaintiff only asserts state-law claims. For example, Plaintiff states in her Complaint that “[t]his court has diversity jurisdiction under 28 USC 1331. [Plaintiff] is a citizen of Oregon and [Defendant] is a citizen of Delaware. The amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.” Compl. at ¶ 4. Plaintiff does not make any allegation of federal-question jurisdiction. Similarly, as noted, Plaintiff alleges she was terminated “for resisting sexual harassment in violation of common law and ORS 659A.199

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222 F. Supp. 3d 927, 2016 WL 6963040, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 163311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rinallo-v-capsa-solutions-llc-ord-2016.