Robbins v. Chatham County

863 F. Supp. 2d 1367, 2012 WL 1028507, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41355
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Georgia
DecidedMarch 26, 2012
DocketCase No. CV410-045
StatusPublished

This text of 863 F. Supp. 2d 1367 (Robbins v. Chatham County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robbins v. Chatham County, 863 F. Supp. 2d 1367, 2012 WL 1028507, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41355 (S.D. Ga. 2012).

Opinion

[1370]*1370 ORDER

WILLIAM T. MOORE, JR., District Judge.

Before the Court are Defendant Chat-ham County’s (Doc. 20) and Larry Chisolm’s (Doc. 23) Motions for Summary Judgment. Plaintiff has filed responses in opposition to both motions. (Doc. 31; Doc. 32.) For the reasons that follow, Defendant Chatham County’s motion is GRANTED, and Defendant Chisolm’s motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Plaintiffs claims against Defendant Chatham County are all DISMISSED. With respect to Defendant Chisolm, Plaintiffs 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claims, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) claim, Title VII individual capacity claims, and Title VII claim for discriminatory discharge are also DISMISSED. However, Defendant Chisolm’s request for summary judgment is DENIED with respect to Plaintiffs Title VII claims against him in his official capacity for both failure to hire and retaliation.

BACKGROUND

This case involves allegations of age and gender discrimination by the current Chatham County District Attorney-Defendant Larry Chisolm. On April 17, 2000, Plaintiff Gwendolyn Robbins was hired by Defendant Chisolm’s predecessor as the Assistant to the District Attorney for Administrative Support Services for the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office. (Doc. 32 at 2.) Prior to being hired into that office, Plaintiff was employed as a law enforcement officer with the City of Alexandria, Virginia, retiring after serving for twenty-one years, and as the Parking Services Administrator for the City of Savannah. (Id.) Once hired by the District Attorney’s office, Plaintiff was required to attend Chatham County’s new employee orientation program and was provided a copy of the Chatham County personnel and procedures manual. (Id.) In addition, Plaintiff was eligible to participate in several benefits programs offered by Chat-ham County, including retirement and various insurance plans. (Id.)

On November 4, 2008, Defendant Chisolm won election as the District Attorney for Chatham County. (Id. at 5.) Following his election, Defendant Chisolm began planning to transition the office, which the prior District Attorney had led for twenty-eight years (Doc. 33, Attach. 43:19-21), in preparation for his administration (Doc. 23 at 2). While assessing the organization of the office, Defendant Chisolm held several meetings with staff members, including Plaintiff. (Doc. 32 at 5.) During a November 23, 2008 meeting, Defendant Chisolm asked Plaintiff some preliminary questions concerning her role in the office and requested that she bring to the next meeting information regarding personnel and the office budget. (Id. at 5-6.) According to Defendant Chisolm, his review left him dissatisfied with Plaintiffs knowledge of budgetary procedures, manner of managing the office budget, and working relationships with her fellow employees. (Doc. 23 at 2.)

On December 8, 2008, Defendant Chisolm contacted Plaintiff to inform her that, as part of the office reorganization, her position was one of two being eliminated. (Doc. 32 at 7.) The eliminated jobs were to be combined into one new position, which was to be advertised internally to current employees. (Id.) This new position did not include any managerial or supervisory responsibilities, and paid a salary around $55,000 per year.1 (Id.) Defendant Chi[1371]*1371solm advised Plaintiff that she would be required to submit an application to be considered for this new position. (Id.)

In response to the elimination of her position, Plaintiff contacted the Chatham County Human Resources Director on December 10, 2008 to discuss the office reorganization and her continued employment by Chatham County. (Id. at 7.) Finding his response insufficient, Plaintiff contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) on December 11, 2008. (Id. at 8.) On the same day, Plaintiff submitted an EEOC intake questionnaire, which alleged that Defendant Chisolm’s decision to eliminate her position was due to both her age and gender. (Id.) On December 15, 2008, Plaintiff wrote to the Chatham County Manager, providing copies to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners and County Attorney, stating that she believed the decision to eliminate her position was the result of age and gender discrimination. (Id.) In the letter, Plaintiff requested that Defendant Chat-ham County investigate her charge of discrimination. (Id.) However, Defendant Chatham County elected not to pursue the allegations. (Id.) Meanwhile, Defendant Chisolm scheduled Plaintiff’s position to be eliminated on January 30, 2009. (Id. at 9-10.)

On January 21, 2009, Plaintiff applied for the newly created position, titled Administrative Support Services Manager. (Id. at 10.) Plaintiff was not selected to interview for that position. On March 9, 2009, Defendant Chisolm hired a younger male as the new Administration Support Services Manager. (Id. at 11.)

Based on Defendant Chisolm’s failure to interview or offer her the new position, Plaintiff filed her first complaint with the EEOC on April 28, 2009. (Id. at 10-11.) In this EEOC complaint, Plaintiff alleges that the lack of interview or offer was due to both improper age and improper gender discrimination. (Id. at 10.) In response, Defendant Chisolm stated that Plaintiff was not selected for an interview because of prior poor performance and erratic behavior. (Id. at 11-12.) On January 13, 2010, Plaintiff filed a second complaint with the EEOC, alleging that the lack of interview or offer for the new position was also in retaliation for her earlier submission of the intake questionnaire to the EEOC.2 (Id. at 12.)

After receiving her Notice of Right to Sue, Plaintiff timely filed her complaint in this Court. (Doc. 1.) In her complaint, Plaintiff has alleged that Defendants’ decision not to interview or select her for the new position was the result of gender discrimination and as retaliation for her earlier EEOC filing, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e to 2000e-17. (Id. ¶ 30.) In addition, Plaintiff contends that Defendants’ actions were based on age discrimination, in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621-634. (Id. ¶ 40.) Plaintiff also argues that Defendants’ actions, taken under color of state law, worked to deprive her of her constitutional rights, in violation of the [1372]*1372Civil Rights Act of 1871, 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (Id. ¶ 30.)

On May 12, 2011, Defendant Chatham County filed its Motion for Summary Judgment. (Doc. 20.) In the motion, Defendant Chatham County argues that Plaintiffs claims against it must be dismissed because they did not exercise any control over employment decisions within the District Attorney’s office. (Id. at 2-6.) In addition, Defendant Chatham County reasons that Plaintiffs claim under § 1983 must fail because she failed to show that it had a policy or custom of discriminating on the basis of age or gender.

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Bluebook (online)
863 F. Supp. 2d 1367, 2012 WL 1028507, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41355, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robbins-v-chatham-county-gasd-2012.