Robinson v. TCP Global Corporation

District Court, D. Nevada·Decided July 17, 2024·No. 2:24-cv-00853·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEVADA * * * Lavell C. Robinson, Case No. 2:24-cv-00853-DJA Plaintiff, Order1 v. TCP Global Corporation, Defendant. This is an employment discrimination case arising out of Plaintiff’s allegation that his employer, Defendant TCP Global Corporation wrongfully terminated him for requesting a day off related to his disability. (ECF No. 1-1 at 6). Plaintiff, appearing pro se, sues Defendant for damages, alleging claims for wrongful termination, disability discrimination, and failure to accommodate. (Id. at 7). Defendant moves to dismiss Plaintiff’s complaint, or alternatively, for a more definite statement and to strike Plaintiff’s exhibits to his complaint. (ECF No. 6). Plaintiff moves to remand the case back to state court and for the Court to sanction Defendant for improper removal. (ECF No. 10). Plaintiff also filed a motion “to not strike,” which appears to be his response to Defendant’s request that the Court strike the exhibits to Plaintiff’s complaint. (ECF No. 13). Plaintiff moves the Court to appoint him counsel (ECF No. 14) and to stay discovery pending that appointment (ECF No. 21). Because the Court finds that Defendant properly removed this action, it denies Plaintiff’s motion to remand and for sanctions. Having found that the action is properly in federal court, and

1 Under General Order 2023-11, this case has been assigned to the undersigned Magistrate Judge. (ECF No. 3). The parties have not timely exercised their option to decline consent to the undersigned’s jurisdiction over this case by returning the form provided by the Court within twenty-one days of their first appearance. (ECF Nos. 3, 4). So, the parties are “deemed to have knowingly and voluntarily consented to proceed before the assigned Magistrate Judge.” (ECF finding that Plaintiff does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted, the Court grants in part and denies in part Defendant’s motion to dismiss. It grants it in part regarding Defendant’s request to dismiss Plaintiff’s complaint. It denies it in part regarding Defendant’s request for a more definite statement and to strike Plaintiff’s exhibit. The Court also denies Plaintiff’s motion “to not strike” because it is really a response to Defendant’s motion to dismiss. Finally, the Court denies Plaintiff’s motion for appointment of counsel and denies his motion to stay discovery. I. Plaintiff’s motion to remand and for sanctions. Plaintiff argues that the Court should remand the case to state court because Defendant’s removal was untimely. (ECF No. 10). He adds that the Court should sanction Defendant for the improper removal. (Id. at 1). Plaintiff asserts that he served Defendant with his original complaint on March 20, 2024, and so, Defendant’s notice of removal filed on May 6, 2024, was outside of the thirty-day timeframe for removal under 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b). (Id. at 3). Defendant responds that its removal was timely under 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b)(3) because it removed the action within thirty days of learning that Plaintiff was bringing his claims under state and federal law. (ECF No. 16 at 1-2). Defendant explains that the basis of Plaintiff’s claims for “wrongful termination,” “disability discrimination,” and “failure to accommodate” was not clear from Plaintiff’s original complaint. (Id.). But in his response to Defendant’s state-court motion to dismiss—which response Plaintiff filed on April 19, 2024—Plaintiff clarified that he was bringing his disability discrimination and failure to accommodate claims under state and federal law. (Id.). It was this response, Defendant argues, that triggered the thirty-day period for it to remove this action. (Id.). Because its removal was proper, Defendant asserts that Plaintiff’s request for sanctions is moot. (Id. at 4). Plaintiff replies and reiterates Defendant’s removal was not timely. (ECF No. 17 at 1-2). Plaintiff argues that “[t]he initial complaint included the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”)] notice of rights to sue, clearly indicating federal claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Defendant should have been aware of the Federal nature Upon notice of removability, a defendant has thirty days to remove a case to federal court once he knows or should have known that the case was removable. Durham v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 445 F.3d 1247, 1250 (9th Cir. 2006) (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b)). Defendants are not charged with notice of removability “until they’ve received a paper that gives them enough information to remove.” Id. at 1251. Specifically, “the ‘thirty day time period [for removal] ... starts to run from defendant’s receipt of the initial pleading only when that pleading affirmatively reveals on its face’ the facts necessary for federal court jurisdiction.” Id. at 1250 (quoting Harris v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co., 425 F.3d 689, 690–91 (9th Cir. 2005) (alterations in original)). “Otherwise, the thirty-day clock doesn’t begin ticking until a defendant receives ‘a copy of an amended pleading, motion, order or other paper’ from which it can determine that the case is removable.” Id. (quoting 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b)). A plaintiff may challenge removal by timely filing a motion to remand. 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c). On a motion to remand, the removing defendant faces a strong presumption against removal, and bears the burden of establishing that removal is proper. Sanchez v. Monumental Life Ins. Co., 102 F.3d 398, 403–04 (9th Cir. 1996); Gaus v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566–67 (9th Cir. 1992). Here, the Court finds that Defendants timely removed this action and thus denies Plaintiff’s motion to remand and for sanctions. Plaintiff’s original complaint did not state on its face the laws under which Plaintiff brought his claims. (ECF No. 1-1 at 5-8). And the EEOC notice of right to sue letter that Plaintiff references does not provide enough information from which Defendant could determine that Plaintiff brought his claims under federal law. (ECF No. 1-1 at 10-15). While the letter references claims brought under federal law, it does so generally. (Id.). On the other hand, Plaintiff’s response to Defendant’s state-court motion to dismiss clearly states that his disability discrimination and failure to accommodate claims arise under both federal and state law.2 (ECF No. 1-3 at 4). It was only from this response that the Defendant had

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Robinson v. TCP Global Corporation, (D. Nev. 2024).

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