Zisumbo v. McLeodusa Telecommunications Services, Inc.

317 F. Supp. 2d 1334, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13330, 2004 WL 1068886
CourtDistrict Court, D. Utah
DecidedMay 11, 2004
Docket1:03-cr-00012
StatusPublished

This text of 317 F. Supp. 2d 1334 (Zisumbo v. McLeodusa Telecommunications Services, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zisumbo v. McLeodusa Telecommunications Services, Inc., 317 F. Supp. 2d 1334, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13330, 2004 WL 1068886 (D. Utah 2004).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER

SAM, Senior District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Defendant McLeodUSA Telecommunications Services, Inc. moves the court for summary judgment on all of Plaintiff Jodi Zisumbo’s claims as more fully discussed below. Briefly stated, the relevant facts and allegations are as follows. Defendant hired Plaintiff on December 16,1999, as an Account Executive (“AE”). She was later made a Senior Account Executive (“SAE”). Plaintiffs immediate supervisor was Kevin Nelson (“Nelson”). Nelson’s supervisor was Drew Peterson (“Peterson”). Both Nelson and Peterson reported to Robert Hatch (“Hatch”) who was Group Vice President for Defendant’s Western Region.

Plaintiff became pregnant with her fourth child in May of 2000 and so informed Nelson, her immediate supervisor. On July 1, 2000, the number of SAE’s on Plaintiffs sales team was reduced from two to one. A male employee, Mark Walker, was selected to remain an SAE on Plaintiffs sales team and Plaintiff was reclassified as an AE with no reduction in base pay. Some of the other employees reassigned by Defendant to AE were male employees. Defendant states that Plaintiff was reclassified as part of a reorganization or readjustment of personnel, primarily involving SAE and AE positions, to meet company expectations. See Hatch Aff., Mem. Supp. at Ex. D. After her reclassification, Plaintiff states that she complained to Defendant’s Iowa Human Resources Office about Nelson’s conduct and her demotion. Plaintiff claims that she never heard about a company reorganization before or after her reassignment. Defendant’s Position Statement submitted to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) in earlier proceedings states that Plaintiffs reassignment “was based on her inability to understand and complete the ‘back-end’ part of the sales process”. Mem. Opp’n, Ex.5 at 2.

On August 8, 2000, Plaintiff was given a Disciplinary Action Form by Nelson for *1337 being late to work, for having problems making the required number of contacts with sales leads, and for getting into disputes with management. In August of 2000, Plaintiff went on paid medical leave. Plaintiff had a pregnancy-related condition called separated symphysis pubis (“SSP”). Plaintiff asserts that she went on disability because the pain associated with SSP was exacerbated by her hostile work environment. Plaintiffs fourth child was born on January 2, 2001. When Plaintiff was called to return to work, she decided not to continue her employment with Defendant.

Plaintiff subsequently commenced this action. Plaintiff alleges that because of her gender and pregnancy Defendant subjected her to disparate treatment and a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She also claims that Defendant invaded her privacy and defamed her for which it is accountable under state law. Plaintiffs fifth claim purports to allege negligent training and supervision under Title VII.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

Under Fed.R.Civ.P. 56, summary judgment is proper only when the pleadings, affidavits, depositions or admissions establish there is no genuine issue regarding any material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The burden of establishing the nonexistence of a genuine issue of material fact is on the moving party. 1 E.g., Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). This burden has two distinct components: an initial burden of production on the moving party, which burden when satisfied shifts to the non-moving party, and an ultimate burden of persuasion, which always remains on the moving party. See 10A Charles A. Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary Kay Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2727 (2d ed.1983).

When summary judgment is sought, the movant bears the initial responsibility of informing the court of the basis for his motion and identifying those portions of the record and affidavits, if any, he believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. In a case where a party moves for summary judgment on an issue on which he would not bear the burden of persuasion at trial, his initial burden of production may be satisfied by showing the court there is an absence of evidence in the record to support the nonmovant’s case. 2 Id., 477 U.S. at *1338 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548. “[T]here can be no issue as to any material fact ... [when] a complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.” Id.

Once the moving party has met this initial burden of production, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to designate “specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

If the defendant in a run-of-the-mill civil case moves for summary judgment ... based on the lack of proof of a material fact, the judge must ask himself not whether he thinks the evidence unmistakably favors one side or the other, but whether a fair-minded jury could return a verdict for the plaintiff on the evidence presented. The mere existence of a scintilla of evidence in support of the plaintiffs position will be insufficient; there must be evidence on which the jury could reasonably find for the plaintiff. The judge’s inquiry, therefore, unavoidably asks whether reasonable jurors could find by a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff is entitled to a verdict ....

Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 252, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The central inquiry is “whether the evidence presents a sufficient disagreement to require submission to a jury or whether it is so one-sided that one party must prevail as a matter of law.” Id. If the nonmoving party cannot muster sufficient evidence to make out a triable issue of fact on his claim, a trial would be useless and the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law. Id., Id., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202.

III. DISCUSSION

As noted, Plaintiff alleges that because of her gender and pregnancy Defendant subjected her to disparate treatment and a hostile work environment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She also .claims that Defendant invaded her privacy and defamed her for which it is accountable under state law. Plaintiffs fifth claim purports to allege negligent training and supervision in violation of Title VII.

A. Disparate Treatment — Title VII (Claim I)

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317 F. Supp. 2d 1334, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13330, 2004 WL 1068886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zisumbo-v-mcleodusa-telecommunications-services-inc-utd-2004.