Volpe v. Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services ("DMHAS")

88 F. Supp. 3d 67, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11561, 2015 WL 418149
CourtDistrict Court, D. Connecticut
DecidedJanuary 30, 2015
DocketNo. 3:13-CV-1796(CSH)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 88 F. Supp. 3d 67 (Volpe v. Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services ("DMHAS")) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Connecticut primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Volpe v. Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services ("DMHAS"), 88 F. Supp. 3d 67, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11561, 2015 WL 418149 (D. Conn. 2015).

Opinion

RULING ON MOTION TO DISMISS

HAIGHT, Senior District Judge:

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs in this civil rights action are members of a group of professional state employees. They are dissatisfied with their compensation, and sue their employer, a state entity, for violation of Title VII of the Civil Right of 1964 and common law intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The Plaintiffs, all pharmacists at the Defendant, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (hereinafter “DMHAS”), claim discriminatory hiring practices and disparate treatment based on their lower rate of pay as a group to another group of similarly situated pharmacists at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Compl. ¶¶ 10-12. Plaintiffs allege that Defendant retaliated against them by failing to address their concerns when they complained of the ongoing and retroactive pay disparity to various authorities. Compl. ¶¶ 13-17. The Complaint also alleges that Defendant’s discriminatory and retaliatory conduct constitute intentional infliction of emotion distress. Compl., Court II ¶ 18.

Defendant moves to dismiss the Title VII claims (Count I), pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, and to dismiss the common law intentional infliction of emotion distress claim (Count II), pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1), for lack of subject matter jurisdiction [Doc. 13]. Defendant argues that Plaintiffs’ Title VII claims should be dismissed because they failed to allege 1) membership in any of the protected classes and 2) conduct that would be considered retaliatory under the statute, and 3) their intentional infliction of emotion distress claims are barred by the Eleventh Amendment and the doctrine of sovereign immunity.

Plaintiffs resist Defendant’s motion. This Ruling resolves it.

II. FACTS

The three plaintiffs, Anthony Volpe, Richard and Carol Hylinski, are all Registered Pharmacists, employed by Defendant DMHAS. Compl. ¶¶ 7-9. Plaintiff Anthony Volpe began his tenure at DMHAS in 2004. He is currently the Pharmacy Supervisor, paid at $42.96 per hour. Id. Plaintiffs Richard and Carol Hy-linski became employed by DMHAS in [70]*702011 and 2012, respectively. They are both Staff Pharmacists, paid at $33.55 per hour. Id. Plaintiffs claim that their rate of pay as a group is significantly lower than another group of similarly situated pharmacists at the University of Connecticut Health Center (hereinafter “UCONN”), resulting in pay disparity totaling $249,500.00, as of the date of the filing of the Compliant on December 3, 2013. Compl. ¶ 11. Plaintiffs assert that pharmacists are the only professional group subjected to pay disparity at DMHAS: nurses, physicians, occupational therapists and physical therapists have substantially the same pay as their counterparts at UCONN. Compl. ¶ 16.

Plaintiffs also allege that DMHAS starts new pharmacists at arbitrary Step rates, without regard to prior work experience, credentials or compensation, which further contributes to the pay disparity and is against the customary practice. Compl. ¶ 10. Specifically, Plaintiffs were hired at Step 1, which is substantially lower than the previous employer salary data provided to Defendant’s Human Resources department. Id. This is in contrast to prior practice, where other pharmacists previously employed by Defendant were hired at Steps corresponding to their past employer pay scale, e.g., two were hired at Step 6 in 2007. Id.

Over the years, Plaintiffs have made numerous written complaints about the pay disparity to no avail to various individuals and offices at DMHAS, the Office of Labor Relations at Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, other state agencies, District 1199 (Plaintiffs’ Union), Connecticut State Representative Paul Davis, and former Connecticut Attorney General (hereinafter “AG”). Richard Blumenthal. Compl. ¶ 13. Plaintiffs allege that “[a]s a direct result of Plaintiffs’ complaints of pay disparity, Defendant has retaliated against 'Plaintiffs by taking a consistently hostile position about Plaintiffs’ complaints ... Defendant is determined to keep Plaintiffs in their inferior pay status ... without compelling, necessary or legitimate busi- ' ness reason.” Compl. ¶¶ 14, 15. Plaintiffs also allege that “despite having multiple opportunities to correct ... through the collective bargaining process or by stipulated agreement,” Defendant intentionally maintained the pay disparity, which keeps worsening over time. Compl. ¶ 17.

On September 10, 2013, Plaintiffs, along with eleven other similarly situated individuals, filed a Charge of Discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) alleging the pay disparity was based on disparate treatment and retaliation by DMHAS, thereby violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, 42 U.S.C. § 1981a et seq. Compl. ¶ 4. On September 11, 2013, the EEOC dismissed Plaintiffs’ Charge of Discrimination and issued a Dismissal and Notice of Suit Rights, granting Plaintiffs ninety (90) days to file suit. Compl. ¶ 5. Plaintiffs timely filed the present Complaint against DMHAS in this Court. Compl. ¶ 6. Defendant now moves, in lieu of an answer, to dismiss the Complaint under Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) and (1).

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2) requires a pleading to contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 677-78, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). When a pleading is insufficient, the case may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction “when the district court lacks the statutory or constitutional power to adjudicate it,” or under [71]*71Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), 12(b)(6); Makarova v. United States, 201 F.3d 110, 113 (2d Cir.2000); Gibson v. State of Conn., Judicial Dep't, Court Support Servs. Div., No. 3:05-CV-1396, 2006 WL 1438486, at *1 (D.Conn. May 23, 2006). On a 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss, the plaintiff has the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence that subject matter jurisdiction exists. Makarova, 201 F.3d at 113; Gibson, 2006 WL 1438486, at *1.

“[T]he standards for dismissal under Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) are substantially identical.” Lerner v. Fleet Bank, N.A., 318 F.3d 113, 128 (2d Cir.2003); Dragon v. Conn., No.

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88 F. Supp. 3d 67, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11561, 2015 WL 418149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/volpe-v-connecticut-department-of-mental-health-addiction-services-ctd-2015.