Thompson v. Board of Education of Romeo Community Schools

71 F.R.D. 398, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1700
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Michigan
DecidedMay 27, 1976
DocketNo. G75-557 C.A.
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 71 F.R.D. 398 (Thompson v. Board of Education of Romeo Community Schools) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. Board of Education of Romeo Community Schools, 71 F.R.D. 398, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1700 (W.D. Mich. 1976).

Opinion

OPINION

FOX, Chief Judge.

This action challenges the sick/disability leave provisions of various school districts in the State of Michigan, insofar as those provisions treat pregnancy in a different manner from any other temporary disability. Plaintiffs seek to sue under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States as well as 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983, 2000e et seq., and 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. Plaintiffs include certain named female teachers employed by various boards of education throughout the state. These individuals began this suit for themselves and on behalf of all others similarly situated. Additional plaintiffs are the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and the Warren Education Association (WEA), each acting for itself and on behalf of its members “similarly situated.” Eight school boards are named as defendants, for themselves and all other boards of education similarly situated. In addition, the complaint names [401]*401individual board members and certain officers and employees of these named boards on behalf of themselves and all other officers, members, and employees of all other Michigan school district boards of education similarly situated. Finally, the Michigan Association of'School Boards (MASB) is also named as a defendant, for itself and on behalf of its members.

A considerable number of motions have been made and argued. A lengthy hearing has been conducted which mostly concerned the matter of certification of the case as a class action, although some of the evidence presented may also be relevant to certain other motions. This opinion is addressed mainly to the class action issues. However, during the course of resolving those issues, certain other motions are discussed and decided. Finally, some jurisdictional matters will also be considered, while decisions on some of the pending motions are deferred.

I.

CLASS ACTION

A.

The class action issues will be considered solely in the context of the claims which have been made under Title YII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. That is the true thrust of the suit, even though plaintiffs allege other grounds for relief. Tr. Vol. I at 25. If relief is granted under Title VII, the named individual plaintiffs will be made whole and resolution of the other claims will be unnecessary for them. On the other hand, there may be some persons who are not entitled to full relief under Title VII and who will therefore have to rely on the other claims.1

Plaintiffs have themselves suggested that the factual issues in their § 1983 claim may be quite extensive, if they hope to avoid the impact of Geduldig v. Aiello, 417 U.S. 484, 94 S.Ct. 2485, 41 L.Ed.2d 256 (1974). Tr. Vol. I at 101-102. Indeed, it may be that extensive factual background will be necessary for each named plaintiff as well as each school district. As for using Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 in a challenge to employment practices, there appear to be few cases to guide this court, if and when the court reaches the merits. I am reluctant in such a situation to certify a class when there are, at this time, no named members of the class who will need to rely on Title IX. Therefore, in view of the complexity of the issues under Title IX and § 1983, and in the exercise of the court’s sound discretion, I decline, at this time, to certify a class action on matters other than the Title VII issues. However, should it appear, as the case progresses, that there do in fact exist a sufficient number of identifiable women who, in order to acquire complete relief, will have to rely on a cause of action under Title IX, a class may yet be certified to determine their right to relief.

B.

It is apparent from all the evidence2 which has been presented during these pro[402]*402ceedings that, as I have repeatedly said, there is a single cardinal issue in the Title VII aspect of this case: Whether a school board, which refuses to allow pregnancy-related disabilities to be treated as are all other temporary disabilities, is illegally discriminating on the basis of sex, within the meaning of Title VII. The Sixth Circuit has resolved the legal issue3 and the factual question reduces down basically to whether female teachers are allowed full use of paid sick leave in connection with pregnancy and childbirth related disabilities. Defendants have repeatedly acknowledged that this common question of law exists. Nevertheless, they contend that the action should not be maintained as a class action, at least not a defendant’s class.

Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that all the requirements of 23(a) must be met as well as one of the subsections in 23(b) in order for an action to be maintained as a class action. The first requirement is numerosity. I find that as to both a plaintiff’s class and a defendant’s class, this requirement is met. I have considered the proposed defendant’s class to be all school boards in the State of Michigan which, since March 24, 1972, have treated or now treat pregnancy related disability differently than other temporary disabilities, limited to the school boards in districts wherein the Michigan Education Association has female members who have been or will be subject to such policies.4 Similarly, the plaintiff’s class includes all female teachers in such districts who have been since March 24, 1972, or will be in the future denied the benefits of a non-discriminatory sick leave policy.5 Both classes are “so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable.” See Barnes v. Board of Trustees, Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, 369 F.Supp. 1327, 1333 (W.D.Mich.1973).

The requirement of common questions of law or fact has been conceded and so I find that such common questions exist.

C.

The remaining two criteria of 23(a) are interrelated and raise the most serious questions of this case. The claims of the representatives must be typical of those of the class and the representatives must fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. As the Sixth Circuit has recently [403]*403indicated in Senter v. General Motors Corp., 532 F.2d 511 (1976), a discussion of these two prerequisites may also involve a discussion of standing.

The named individual plaintiffs clearly have standing to represent separate classes against the named school boards. Their claims are typical and it appears at this time that they will vigorously prosecute the case through qualified counsel. See Senter, supra, at 524. Insofar as Lynch v. Sperry Rand Corp., 62 F.R.D.

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Bluebook (online)
71 F.R.D. 398, 12 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1700, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-board-of-education-of-romeo-community-schools-miwd-1976.