Roe v. City of New Orleans

766 F. Supp. 1443, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3044, 1991 WL 123316
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedMarch 8, 1991
DocketCiv. A. No. 90-3097
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 766 F. Supp. 1443 (Roe v. City of New Orleans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roe v. City of New Orleans, 766 F. Supp. 1443, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3044, 1991 WL 123316 (E.D. La. 1991).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

PATRICK E. CARR, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification [Record Document No. 10].

Determining that oral argument was not needed, the Court CANCELED the hearing on the motion, previously set for February 27, 1991. For the following reasons, the Court DISMISSES the action at the plaintiffs’ costs for want of jurisdiction through lack of standing and/or for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and DENIES the motion AS MOOT.

This § 1983 action concerns the City of New Orleans’ substance abuse policy to eradicate the harmful effects of drug abuse in the workplace. Three permanent City employees and one non-City employee facially attack broad portions of the policy’s drug-testing provisions on the ground that these portions permit unreasonable searches and deny procedural due process; the four assert their claims individually and on behalf of all City employees not in certain “security or safety sensitive positions,” all prospective City employees, and all citizens who use the services of the City and City Hall. None of the four asserts that he or she has been or reasonably expects to be subject to any drug testing.

I.

In 1990, the New Orleans City Civil Service Commission and the City’s Chief Administrative Officer promulgated identical written Substance Abuse Policies (“Policies”).1 Compare Plaintiffs’ Supplemental Memorandum in Support of their Motion at 4 n. 4 with id. Exh. “1”. Together, these Policies apply:

to all Classified and Unclassified Service employees, inclusive of regular full-time, part-time, commissioned, probationary, temporary, or contract employees, and to applicants for employment with the City.

Id. § 5, at 2. Generally, the Policies prohibit the unauthorized use, influence, or possession of alcohol or drugs on City premises or “while on City business and/or during working hours.” See id. § 6, at 2-3. The Policies provide for the following “enforcement activities”:

a. WORKPLACE SEARCHES AND INSPECTIONS — When reasonable cause or suspicion exists, the City reserves the right, at all times to conduct unannounced searches and inspections of City facilities, properties, as well, as employees’ and other persons’ effects. Such searches can include but not be limited to lockers, baggage, briefcases, boxes, bags, parcels, lunchboxes, food/beverage containers, desks, tool boxes, clothing, and vehicles for the purpose of determining if such employees or other persons are in possession, use, transportation or concealment of any of the prohibited items and substances cited in this policy.
These searches may be initiated without prior notice and may be conducted at times and locations as deemed appropriate by the City officials and/or their designated representatives. At no time will employees or other persons be touched nor will any clothing be removed during these searches and inspections. These searches may take place when employees and other persons enter into or depart from the City’s premises, properties, and work areas described previously. When reasonable cause or suspicion exists, the [1446]*1446Appointing Authorities or their properly authorized non-law enforcement representatives (who may use drug detection dogs to assist in the search) will perform the searches.
b. SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING, MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND FITNESS FOR DUTY PHYSICALS — The City also reserves the right, in the following circumstances, to require employees to submit to but not necessarily limited to urine drug tests, breathalizer tests, blood tests or other medical examinations as a condition of employment or continued employment. These substance abuse testing procedures will be conducted in order to determine the use of any illegal or unauthorized drugs or substances prohibited by this policy or to prove the employee’s satisfactory fitness for duty. These tests may be unannounced and may be utilized under the following circumstances:
1. Pre-employment / pre-placement/ end of probationary period testing will be required of any qualified applicant as a condition of consideration of employment, being approved for any sensitive position or all other types of positions, or as a requirement in a probationary period as consideration for awarding permanent employment status to an employee.
2. If an employee suffers an occupational on-the-job injury (requiring a visit to a doctor) or following a serious or potentially serious accident, near-miss or incident in which safety precautions were violated.
3. When a supervisor has reasonable suspicion to suspect that an employee or other person shows signs of possible alcohol abuse or substance abuse such that there is intoxication, impairment in normal sensory and/or motor body functions, or other articulable facts that would lead a supervisor to be concerned about the individual’s safety or the safety of the general public and others due to an employee’s physical condition or behavior while working.
4. When the City has reasonable suspicion of probable abuse by a number of employees based on information such as an unusual amount of post-accident positive test results, incidents of theft, lost productivity or reports of unexplained personnel behavior, or other facts that would lead management to test specific individuals, groups, an entire department, work area, shift, division, work location or sensitive job classifications due to safety/security concerns.
5. Routine, periodic or intermittent testing of all employees with probationary status or employees in “safety sensitive” positions. These employee categories have job scopes requiring the carrying of firearms (and continuing certification to maintain its proper use) or affect the health, welfare and/or safety of the public, co-workers and the individual employee. These tests will determine the use of any illegal or unauthorized drug, alcohol or other substances prohibited by this policy.
6. Random testing may be used routinely for those employees in “safety-sensitive” positions. Such employee classes of work are considered to be, but not limited to fire suppression personnel, such as fire fighters, commissioned police/security officers (who have authority to carry weapons) or any officer/fire fighter who may be in a dispatching, medical/rescue or other line supervisory position. Any form of substance abuse by these groups of employees may affect the safety of operations through unsafe work behavior/performance or error in judgment, or where substance abuse could jeopardize the safety and well-being of either the employee, other personnel, or the general public.
7. Government-required testing may be routinely utilized by the City as mandated by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the Louisiana Department of Public Safety (LDPS), or other agencies for those employees working in regulated/safety/sensitive positions. These positions [1447]*1447are classified by DOT/LDPS regulations as drivers of commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate/intrastate commerce.

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Bluebook (online)
766 F. Supp. 1443, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3044, 1991 WL 123316, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roe-v-city-of-new-orleans-laed-1991.