Sanchez v. City of Hartford

10 F. Supp. 2d 162, 1998 WL 339672
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedJune 23, 1998
Docket3:97CV1922(AHN) DW
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 10 F. Supp. 2d 162 (Sanchez v. City of Hartford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanchez v. City of Hartford, 10 F. Supp. 2d 162, 1998 WL 339672 (D. Conn. 1998).

Opinion

RULING ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

NEVAS, District Judge.

The plaintiff, Hilario Sanchez (“Sanchez”), brings this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983 against the defendants, City of Hartford (“Hartford”), Kathleen Palm (“Palm”), Shelley R. Sheppard (“Sheppard”), and Judith A. Reynolds (“Reynolds”), 1 for procedural due process violations and race and national origin discrimination in connection with the denial of Sanchez’s request for an early withdrawal of the proceeds of his deferred compensation plan. Now pending before the court is the defendants Motion to Dismiss Sanchez’s First, Second and, Third Claims for Relief for failure to state a claim.

For the reasons stated below, this motion [doc. # 17] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. In addition, Sanchez is GRANTED leave to amend his complaint to state his First and Third Claims for Relief with greater specificity.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In deciding a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court is required to accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and must construe any well-pleaded factual allegations in the plaintiffs favor. See Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974); Easton v. Sundram, 947 F.2d 1011, 1014-15 (2d Cir.1991). A court may dismiss a complaint only where “it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); see also Still v. DeBuono, 101 F.3d 888, 891 (2d Cir.1996). The issue on a motion to dismiss “is not whether the plaintiff will prevail, but whether he is entitled to offer evidence to support his claims.” United States v. Yale New Haven Hosp., 727 F.Supp. 784, 786 (D.Conn.1990) (citing Scheuer, 416 U.S. at *164 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683). In deciding such a motion, consideration is limited to the facts stated in the complaint or in documents attached thereto as exhibits or incorporated therein by reference. See Kramer v. Time Warner, Inc., 937 F.2d 767, 773 (2d Cir.1991).

FACTS

For the purposes of this Rule 12(b)(6) motion, the following facts alleged in Sanchez’s First Amended Complaint are accepted as true.

Sanchez is a Puerto Rican male who resides in South Windsor, Connecticut. (See First Am. Compl. ¶ 6.) He has been employed by Hartford as a full-time firefighter since June, 1982. (See id. ¶ 12.) At all times relevant to the complaint, Sanchez was enrolled in a deferred compensation plan established by Hartford through ITT Hartford Insurance Group. (See id. ¶ 13.) The plan allows an employee to voluntarily authorize a portion of his wages to be withheld and not taxed so that it may be invested for payment upon retirement. (Id.)

On or about January 28,1994, Sanchez and his wife bought their first home in South Windsor. (See id. ¶ 14(a).) They reside there with their five year old child. (Id.) At that time, Sanchez and his wife were both employed, and they both contributed to the total household income. (Id.)

In April, 1994, Mrs. Sanchez became pregnant with her second child. (See id. ¶ 14(b).) On November 17, 1994, due to hypertension and bouts of early labor pain, her physician ordered her to stay in bed and directed her to discontinue her employment. (Id.) Mrs. Sanchez did as her physician instructed and stopped working. (Id.)

On January 22, 1995, Mrs. Sanchez gave birth to Alec Hilario (“Alec”). (See id. ¶ 14(c).) Alec was born with an acute case of hematoma — a bleeding vein located between his scalp and skull — that required immediate hospitalization. (Id.) On February 16, 1995, after Alec developed a serious infection as a result of the hematoma, he was hospitalized and underwent surgery. (Id.) Then, at six months of age, Alec’s severe allergies to milk and eggs surfaced. (Id.) According to his allergist, Dr. Rosen, his food allergies “had the potential to manifest themselves as a potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis even if he was only exposed to a small amount of milk or eggs.” (Id.)

Due to Alec’s medical condition, specifically the fact that his allergies required his eating habits to be carefully supervised, Mrs. Sanchez was not able to return to her previous job and was not able to find another employer who would accommodate her schedule. (See id. ¶ 14(d).) In fact, she remained unemployed for several months, ultimately taking a part-time job for ten to fifteen hours per week so that she could be home with Alec when Sanchez was at work. (See id. ¶¶ 14(d), (e).)

Alec’s illness had a devastating financial impact on the family. (See id. ¶ 14(f).) They suffered a drastic decrease in their monthly income and were therefore unable to pay their monthly mortgage as well as their other monthly expenses. (Id.) Sanchez had no insurance, savings or assets that he could use to cover the family’s monthly expenses. (Id.)

On November 20, 1996, Sanchez sent a letter to Hartford informing it of his son’s medical condition and his wife’s employment situation and requesting a “hardship withdrawal” from his deferred compensation plan. (See id. ¶ 15; Compl. Ex. B.) In response, Sanchez received instructions from Hartford which explained exactly how to apply for such a withdrawal. (See First Am. Compl. ¶ 16.)

On January 2, 1997, Sanchez’s mortgage company instituted foreclosure proceedings. (See id. ¶ 15.) Then, on February 9, 1997, after he had been unsuccessful in his numerous efforts to contact Hartford’s Office of the Treasurer regarding the status of his request for an early withdrawal, Sanchez received a letter formally denying his application. (See id. ¶ 16.) The letter simply stated that “there was not sufficient documentation to justify a ‘hardship withdrawal.’” (Id.) The letter neither explained why Sanchez’s application was denied, nor informed him that he had the right to request a hearing, a review of the decision, or even a meeting concerning the decision. (Id.) In fact, Sanchez was never afforded the opportunity to meet with a *165 representative from Hartford so that he could better explain his reasons for requesting the early withdrawal. (Id.)

Nonetheless, on February 25, 1997, Sanchez submitted a request for reconsideration of his application for the hardship withdrawal.

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Bluebook (online)
10 F. Supp. 2d 162, 1998 WL 339672, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanchez-v-city-of-hartford-ctd-1998.