Sellars v. CRST Expedited, Inc.

371 F. Supp. 3d 557
District Court, N.D. Iowa·Decided April 3, 2019·No. No. C15-117-LTS·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Leonard T. Strand, Chief Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

This case is before me on the following motions by plaintiffs: (1) a motion (Doc.

*559No. 207) to amend, in part, my order (Doc. No. 204) granting defendant's motions for partial summary judgment and decertification of the hostile work environment class; (2) a motion (Doc. No. 209) to stay, or, in the alternative, amend the scheduling order; and (3) a motion (Doc. No. 211) to certify final judgment upon the class retaliation claim for appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b). Defendant CRST Expedited, Inc. (CRST) has filed resistances (Doc. Nos. 213, 223, 226) and plaintiffs have filed replies (Doc. Nos. 222, 227, 228). Plaintiffs have also submitted supplemental authority. See Doc. Nos. 231, 232.

II. BACKGROUND

On March 30, 2017, I entered an order certifying a hostile work environment class and a retaliation class. See Doc. No. 85. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(c)(4)(A), I also certified the following issues with respect to each class pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(c)(4)(a) :

a. As to the Hostile Work Environment Class, whether CRST has any of the following policies, patterns or practices that create or contribute to a hostile work environment:

(1) failing to find their complaints were corroborated without an eyewitness or admission,
(2) failing to discipline drivers after complaints were corroborated and
(3) failure to discipline DMs for failing to promptly respond to sexual harassment complaints and

b. As to the Retaliation Class:

(1) Whether CRST has a policy, pattern or practice of retaliating against women complaining of sexual harassment by requiring them to exit the truck except when they are a lead driver or owner-operator.

Id. at 55. I noted that pursuant to Rule 23(c)(1)(C), the order could be altered or amended before final judgment. Id. at 56.

CRST subsequently moved for summary judgment on the retaliation claim and decertification of the hostile work environment class. See Doc. Nos. 171, 172. I granted both motions on January 15, 2019. See Doc. No. 204. In my order, I explained that as to the hostile work environment class, I had previously relied on a bifurcated approach under the framework established in Int'l B'hood of Teamsters v. United States , 431 U.S. 324, 97 S.Ct. 1843, 52 L.Ed.2d 396 (1977). See Doc. No. 204 at 57. That framework contemplated using the class structure in Phase I to determine whether CRST created or tolerated a hostile work environment by way of the three stated policies while leaving damages to be determined individually in Phase II. Id. Within Phase I, I had also certified the issue of whether CRST had any of the alleged policies, patterns or practices. Upon closer examination of the liability determination in Phase I, I explained that there were predominance issues as to liability concerning whether plaintiffs could prove each element of a hostile work environment claim using common evidence. Id. at 57-68. In my order certifying the hostile work environment class, I had focused on plaintiffs' argument that common evidence could be used to prove the employer's alleged negligence to unwelcome sexual harassment through the three alleged policies, patterns or practices. Id. In considering CRST's motion for decertification, I took a closer look at each of the elements plaintiffs would have to prove at Phase I to establish liability, and found plaintiffs had not established that the remaining elements (particularly the alleged unwelcome sexual harassment that plaintiffs experienced) were not amenable to class resolution.

*560Id. I also determined that at Phase II, the alleged harassing conduct would have to be evaluated again (regarding whether it was objectively and subjectively offensive). Id. Ultimately, I concluded the hostile work environment class and certified issue did not meet the predominance and superiority requirements under Rule 23(b)(3), nor the commonality requirement under Rule 23(a). Id.

With regard to the retaliation class, I granted summary judgment finding that plaintiffs failed to put forth any evidence from which a jury could find pretext as to CRST's alleged policy, pattern or practice of requiring sexual harassment complainants to exit the truck without pay. See Doc. No. 204 at 41 ("Plaintiffs have not put forth sufficient evidence for a jury to infer that (a) CRST's articulated reasons were false and (b) the real reason was retaliation.").

Plaintiffs now request that I:

• Amend my order by recertifying the Rule 23(c)(4) issue class as to plaintiffs' hostile work environment claim and certifying a separate Rule 23(c)(4) class as to CRST's alleged negligence with respect to its alleged policies. See Doc. No. 207-1 at 1.
• Stay the Second Amended Scheduling Order pending resolution of appellate proceedings and plaintiffs' pending motion for partial amendment, or reset the dispositive motion and trial ready dates following a decision on plaintiffs' Rule 23(f) petition1 as well as following a decision on plaintiffs' motion (Doc. No. 207) to certify an issues class. See Doc. No. 209-1.2
• Certify their class retaliation claims for appeal pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b). See Doc. No. 211-1 at 1.

I will first address whether plaintiffs' class retaliation claims should be certified for appeal and will then address their motion to amend my prior order. In the event my ruling on either issue requires further amendment of the scheduling order, I will address that issue at the end of this order.

III. ANALYSIS

A. Motion to Certify Class Retaliation Claim for Appeal Pursuant to Rule 54(b)

Plaintiffs argue I should certify their class retaliation claim as a final judgment for appeal because there is a danger of severe hardship or injustice if the appeal is delayed to the conclusion of the named plaintiffs' individual claims.

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Sellars v. CRST Expedited, Inc., 371 F. Supp. 3d 557 (N.D. Iowa 2019).

371 F. Supp. 3d 557 (Sellars v. CRST Expedited, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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