Van Pelt v. Skolnik

897 F. Supp. 2d 1031, 34 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 708, 2012 WL 4361245, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135204, 116 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 180
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedSeptember 21, 2012
DocketNo. 3:11-cv-00061-HDM-VPC
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 897 F. Supp. 2d 1031 (Van Pelt v. Skolnik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Van Pelt v. Skolnik, 897 F. Supp. 2d 1031, 34 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 708, 2012 WL 4361245, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135204, 116 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 180 (D. Nev. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

HOWARD D. McKIBBEN, District Judge.

Before the court is the defendants’ motion for summary judgment (# 35). Plaintiff has opposed (# 38), and defendants have replied (# 43).

Defendants are Nevada Department of Corrections (“NDOC”) employees and the State of Nevada. Plaintiff Carla Van Pelt (“plaintiff’) is a former NDOC employee. Pursuant to the parties’ stipulation, plaintiff filed a second amended complaint asserting: (1) First Amendment retaliation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; (2) Title VII retaliation; and (3) Title VII gender discrimination. Defendants now seek summary judgment on plaintiffs claims. Facts1

From 1989 until 1997, and again from 2000 until her termination in November [1037]*10372010, plaintiff worked for NDOC at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center (“NNCC”). At the time of her termination, she was a program officer in OASIS, a drug and alcohol addiction program for inmates. (See Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 3, 29).2 At various times, her supervisors included defendants former Associate Warden of Programs James Baca (“Baca”), acting Associate Warden of Programs Lisa Walsh (“Walsh”), and OASIS site supervisor Ed Miller (“Miller”).

Plaintiff’s complaint focuses primarily on events that took place between December 2009 and May 2010, when she was placed on administrative leave before eventually being terminated. She asserts that she suffered several adverse employment actions, including termination, for engaging in protected activities, and that she was subjected to gender discrimination. Defendants deny plaintiffs claims and assert that she was terminated for falsifying log books and time sheets. The following facts, set forth in a light most favorable to the plaintiff, appear from the record.

On December 10, 2009, plaintiff testified at an NDOC employee’s administrative disciplinary hearing pursuant to subpoena. (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 41). Plaintiff testified that the actions for which the employee was facing discipline were actions plaintiff told her to take, and that she believed the proposed discipline to be excessive. (Id.) Plaintiff claims she also testified

that I was like the little warden of the [OASIS] unit; I did everything that the warden does in that particular unit. And I told them I did all the budgeting, I did the making sure maintenance stuff was done, the hiring, the firing, the personnel stuff, the purchasing. It was its own little prison within the prison.

(PI. Dep. 30:8 — 19).3

On December 18, 2009, defendant Warden James Benedetti (“Benedetti”) emailed NNCC staff to notify them that all employees were required to sign in at the gatehouse when arriving to work. (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 24). Although plaintiff denies getting any such email or notification, she was aware that she was required to sign in at the gatehouse. (PL Dep. 56-57).

On December 30, 2009, plaintiff hired a female substance abuse counselor for the OASIS program. (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 7). On January 4, 2010, plaintiff claims that Miller told her that she had to unhire the new employee, stating he didn’t want another “f — ing female” in the unit because they were too much trouble. Plaintiff claims that although she reported this to two supervisors and a personnel tech, nothing was done. (Id.)

On January 22, 2010, Baca conducted a staff meeting during which plaintiff was stripped of any supervisory duties she had — or thought she had — in the OASIS program, Miller was designated as plaintiffs supervisor, and all employees, including plaintiff, were directed to fill out and submit leave slips and obtain prior approval for all leave. (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 42; Pl. Opp’n Ex. 3). Baca further instructed that all employees would start working shifts from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 or 8:00 am. to 5:00 p.m. (Id.). Plaintiff claims that before this meeting she was acting director of the OASIS unit north. (See Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 30).

[1038]*1038After the January 22, 2010, meeting, plaintiff allegedly told another OASIS employee that she would not help Miller learn his new supervisory job. (See Pl. Opp’n Ex. 3).

On January 30, 2010, plaintiff filed a NERC/EEOC complaint (hereinafter “EEOC complaint”). (Second Am. Compl. 1). Plaintiff claims that the complaint alleged “disparate treatment” by “coworkers and supervisors, including transmission of pornography.”4 (Pl. Opp’n 2).

On February 11, 2010, Baca issued plaintiff a “Letter of Instruction for Insubordination,” for, in part, plaintiffs statement after the January 22, 2010, meeting.5 (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 3). After receiving the letter of instruction, and at that meeting, plaintiff informed Baca, Walsh, and Miller about her EEOC complaint. (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 7).

On February 15, 2010, plaintiff claims she submitted an incident report alleging that Miller had given favorable treatment to an inmate. (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 7).

On March 1, 2010, plaintiff signed an acknowledgment prepared by Miller that signing in and out of gatehouse and at the unit was “important.” (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 21).

On March 2, 2010, plaintiff informed NDOC Director Howard Skolnik (“Skolnik”) of her EEOC complaint. (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 7). As she was leaving, plaintiff heard Skolnik “say that he was going to do what he could to get rid of me.” (Pl. Dep. 72). Afterwards, plaintiff claims Baca “screamed” at her for talking directly to Skolnik.6 (Pl. Dep. 35-36).

On March 3, 2010, plaintiff allegedly told Miller that defendant Larry Booth (“Booth”), a coworker in the OASIS program, was creating a hostile work environment and needed his “ass kicked.” (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 77; Pl. Opp’n Ex. 5). Plaintiff denies this, insisting that instead she said that Booth “ ‘need[ed] to come off his high horse’ because she was tired of the comments he was making and his total disregard for anything she had to say.” (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 36). That same date, an OASIS employee wrote an incident report about the unprofessional and hostile way he believed Booth and Miller were treating plaintiff. (Pl. Opp’n Ex. 4). In particular, the employee noted that Booth and Miller were trying to isolate and ignore plaintiff and that they showed visible disregard for her opinions during staff meetings. (Id)

On March 11, 2010, plaintiff left work at 2 p.m. to pick up her car and did not return for the rest of the day. (Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A 76). She did not tell any of her supervisors directly that she was leaving, although she was required to do so. On March 12, 2010, plaintiff again left work in the early afternoon, telling another NNCC employee that she had hurt her back. (Id at 75). On March 15, 2010, plaintiff arrived late to work, saying she had forgotten to change her clock for daylight savings time. (Id at 76).

[1039]*1039At some point, an internal investigation into allegations that plaintiff had been discourteous, been insubordinate, made false and misleading statements, neglected her duties, and engaged in unbecoming conduct began. (See Def. Mot. Summ. J. Ex. A at 25).

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Bluebook (online)
897 F. Supp. 2d 1031, 34 I.E.R. Cas. (BNA) 708, 2012 WL 4361245, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 135204, 116 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/van-pelt-v-skolnik-nvd-2012.