United States v. Criminal Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

19 F.3d 238, 28 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1532, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 8439, 64 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,995, 64 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 813, 1994 WL 116016
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedApril 25, 1994
Docket93-03072
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 19 F.3d 238 (United States v. Criminal Sheriff, Parish of Orleans) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Criminal Sheriff, Parish of Orleans, 19 F.3d 238, 28 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1532, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 8439, 64 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,995, 64 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 813, 1994 WL 116016 (5th Cir. 1994).

Opinion

LITTLE, District Judge:

By consent of the parties litigant, a magistrate adjudicated this dispute, which is predicated on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is the contention of the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff that the magistrate’s determination exceeded the issues surrendered to her by stipulation of the parties. That being so, the Sheriff seeks to have the magistrate’s judgment pared to only those issues that were contained in the stipulation. Finding merit in the Sheriffs position, we recast the judgment by reversing in part.

I.

In its petition, the government alleges that the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriffs Office and its Sheriff, Charles C. Foti, Jr., violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000e-5(f) and 6(b). Specifically, the government asserts that the Sheriff engaged in discriminatory policies and practices that prevented women from attaining deputy sheriff positions on the male inmate residential tiers of the Orleans Parish confinement facilities.

The magistrate first considered the issue of liability and then, if necessary, the issue of relief. As to liability, the parties submitted a stipulation whereby the Sheriff agreed not to contest the government’s assertion that the Sheriffs department’s hiring and promotional opportunities, as they pertained to male residential tiers, were not gender neutral. The stipulation stated in pertinent part:

The United States contends that Defendant’s policy and practice of not assigning female deputy sheriffs to posts located on its male inmate residential tiers denied females assignment, hiring, and promotional opportunities and terms and conditions of employment equal to those accorded to male deputies and that this is a pattern and practice violative of Title VII, except to the extent that such policy and practice was justified as a BFOQ [bona fide occupational qualification] as defined in this Stipulation. Defendant denies this contention. However, for purposes of this suit only Defendant does not contest this contention.

With the liability issue at rest, the magistrate moved toward rendering relief, which came in the form of an injunction.

II.

We note at this juncture the appellant’s suggestion that the magistrate erred as a matter of law in issuing an injunction without first affording a hearing pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65. We disagree. Rule 65(a)(1) provides that “[n]o preliminary injunction shall be issued without notice to the adverse party.” This circuit has stated that the purpose of the rule “is always to prevent irreparable injury so as to preserve the court’s ability to render a meaningful decision on the merits.” Meis v. Sanitas Service Corp., 511 F.2d 655, 656 (5th Cir.1975). In this case, the parties stipulated to the merits of the liability claim, thereby enabling the court to determine and impose a final remedy. On 30 December 1992, the magistrate issued a permanent injunction, to which Rule 65 does not apply. As such, there is no merit to the appellant’s contention that he was entitled to a hearing prior to the issuance of the injunction.

III.

Next, the appellant maintains that the court abused its discretion by issuing an injunction that exceeded the scope of the stipulation. In formulating relief in employment discrimination eases, the court has broad discretion to fashion remedies as the equities of a particular case compel. LeBlanc v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 460 F.2d 1228, 1229 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 990, 93 S.Ct. 320, 54 L.Ed.2d 257 (1972). We will not intervene absent a showing of *240 clear abuse. Harper v. Thiokol Chem. Corp., 619 F.2d 489, 494 (5th Cir.1980); Local 53 v. Vogler, 407 F.2d 1047, 1052-53 (5th Cir.1969).

At issue are paragraphs two, four and five of the injunction. Paragraph two enjoins the Sheriff from “[flailing or refusing to hire females in the position of Deputy Sheriff, other than according to the same criterion applied in the hiring of males, at all facilities of the Orleans Parish Prison complex unless a bona fide occupational qualification ... exists.” Paragraph four enjoins the Sheriff from “[flailing or refusing to promote female deputies into rank or supervisory positions at the Orleans Parish Prison jail facilities other than on an equal basis with male deputies unless a bona fide occupational qualification exists..., ” Paragraph five enjoins the Sheriff from “[flailing or refusing to adopt and implement a program to inform women of equal employment opportunities available at the Orleans Parish Prison facilities and to attract qualified women to become Deputy Sheriffs in numbers reflecting their interest and availability in the relevant labor market.”

The Sheriff argues that the provisions of the stipulation apply only to facts surrounding the assignment of female deputy sheriffs to posts located on male inmate residential tiers. In contrast, the three quoted paragraphs of the injunction go far afield from the stipulation and seek to regulate the Sheriffs hiring and promotional conduct in areas other than just the male inmate tiers of the Orleans Parish jail system.

The plaintiff, on the other hand, contends that the injunction was properly worded and that the magistrate did not exceed the scope of the stipulation. We disagree. As we stated previously, courts have broad discretion to fashion equitable remedies in Title VII cases. Franks v. Bowman Transp. Co., 424 U.S. 747, 763-64, 96 S.Ct. 1251, 1263-64, 47 L.Ed.2d 444 (1976); Harper, 619 F.2d at 494. But the underlying objective to be achieved in an injunctive matter is the fashioning of an order that restores the injured party to the status he would have occupied were it not for the defendant’s discriminatory behavior. Franks, 424 U.S. at 764, 96 S.Ct. at 1264; Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody, 422 U.S. 405, 418-19, 95 S.Ct. 2362, 2372, 45 L.Ed.2d 280 (1975).

IV.

This case has as its center point the policy employed by the Orleans Parish Sheriff in assigning deputy sheriffs to duties on all male populated tiers of the Orleans Parish jail. There is no proof, however, by stipulation or otherwise, that either side considered any other issue. The sheriff admitted to endorsing and enforcing a policy concerning deputy sheriff supervision on the male inmate residential tiers. No more was admitted. To regulate conduct not at issue is beyond the scope of the magistrate’s authority.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Frame v. City of Arlington
657 F.3d 215 (Fifth Circuit, 2011)
Albright v. City of New Orleans
105 F. App'x 552 (Fifth Circuit, 2004)
Albright v. City of New Orleans
208 F. Supp. 2d 634 (E.D. Louisiana, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
19 F.3d 238, 28 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1532, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 8439, 64 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,995, 64 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 813, 1994 WL 116016, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-criminal-sheriff-parish-of-orleans-ca5-1994.