Smith v. Town of Hempstead

21 F. Supp. 3d 202, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67860, 2014 WL 2041868
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedMay 15, 2014
DocketNo. CV 13-4985(LDW)(AKT)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 21 F. Supp. 3d 202 (Smith v. Town of Hempstead) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Town of Hempstead, 21 F. Supp. 3d 202, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67860, 2014 WL 2041868 (E.D.N.Y. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

WEXLER, District Judge.

Plaintiff Elissa Smith (“Smith”) brings this action against defendants Town of Hempstead (“Town”) and former Town Clerk Mark Bonilla (“Bonilla”), asserting claims for discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (“Title VII”), and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as well as supplemental state law claims under New York State Human Rights Law (“NYSHRL”), N.Y. Exec. Law § 296 et seq., and for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and assault and battery. The Town moves to dismiss the complaint under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6).

I. BACKGROUND

For purposes of this decision, the allegations of the complaint can be summarized as follows. Smith commenced her employment with the Town on July 18, 2011 as a Community Research Assistant in the Town’s Clerk’s office. From that date until August 16, 2012, Smith worked under Bonilla’s supervision. Within two to three weeks after Smith began employment, Bonilla asked her to accompany him on road trips to events that he was attending. Smith claims that Bonilla made comments and advances of a sexual nature toward her and created an intimidating, hostile, and offensive working environment. Smith alleges, inter alia, that Bonilla inappropriately touched her while they were alone in his car and at various events, and that he made various comments about her looks. Smith claims that when she rebuffed Bonilla’s unwelcome and offensive advances, she was shunned and ignored in the office, depriving her of employment opportunities and ultimately leading her to transfer out of the Clerk’s office. In that respect, on August 16, 2012, Smith interviewed for a position in the Town’s Parks Department. That same day, Smith confirmed to a Town human resources employee and a Town attorney that she had been sexually harassed. Smith was immediately transferred from the Clerk’s office to the Parks Department. Smith claims that although the Town has adopted a sexual harassment policy, it failed to disseminate the policy to her or other employee’s of the Clerk’s office and that she never received sexual harassment training. She further alleges that the Town failed to [204]*204properly train and supervise Bonilla regarding sexual harassment in the workplace.

Smith filed a claim of discrimination with the State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Upon receiving a notice of right to sue, Smith brought this action.

The Town moves to dismiss on the grounds (1) that Smith was a member of an elected official’s personal staff and, as such, is exempt from coverage under Title VII; (2) that Smith fails to state a claim under § 1983; and (3) that, upon dismissal of all federal claims, the Court should dismiss the supplemental state law claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c).

II. DISCUSSION

A. Motion to Dismiss Standard

In Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007), the Supreme Court held that to avoid dismissal a plaintiff is required to plead enough facts “to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face.” Id. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955; see also Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678-80, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). While heightened factual pleading is not required, Twombly holds that a “formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955. On a motion to dismiss, the court must, as always, assume that all allegations in the complaint are true and draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the nonmoving party. Blair v. City of New York, 789 F.Supp.2d 459, 463 (S.D.N.Y.2011). However, the court must ensure that the complaint sets forth “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955; see Ruston v. Town Bd. for Town of Skaneateles, 610 F.3d 55, 57 (2d Cir.2010). A pleading that does nothing more than recite the elements of a claim, supported by mere conclusory statements, is insufficient to “unlock the doors of discovery.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937. Rather, “only a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief survives a motion to dismiss.” Id. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

“A case is properly dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1) when the district court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate it.” Makarova v. United States, 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir.2000). In deciding a FRCP 12(b)(1) motion, the court “may refer to evidence outside the pleadings.” Id. Notably, “[t]he standard for reviewing a [FRCP] 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss is essentially identical to the [FRCP] 12(b)(6) standard,” except that “ ‘[a] plaintiff asserting subject matter jurisdiction has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that it exists.’ ” Taylor v. New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, 2014 WL 1202587, slip op. at *3 (N.D.N.Y. Mar. 14, 2014) (quoting Makarova, 201 F.3d at 113).

B. Title VII Claims

The Town argues that Smith was a member of an elected official’s “personal staff’ and, as such, is exempt from coverage under Title VII. See, e.g., Bland v. New York, 263 F.Supp.2d 526, 535-36 (E.D.N.Y.2003) (analyzing personal-staff exemption under Title VII). Smith argues that she does not fall within the Title VII personal-staff exemption. Bonilla also opposes this aspect of the Town’s motion. The parties submit various matter outside of the complaint, including affidavits of town officials, and cite the Court to various local and state laws concerning the Town Clerk position and removal thereunder.

Whether an individual is part of an elected official’s “personal staff’ generally [205]*205involves a “highly factual” inquiry that focuses on the “nature and circumstances of the employment relationship between the complaining individual and the elected official,” an inquiry that “does not lend itself well to disposition by summary judgment.” Teneyuca v. Bexar County, 767 F.2d 148, 151-52 (5th Cir.1985) (internal quotations omitted). In Teneyuca,

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Bluebook (online)
21 F. Supp. 3d 202, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67860, 2014 WL 2041868, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-town-of-hempstead-nyed-2014.