U.S. Equal Emp't Opportunity Comm'n v. Gulf Logistics Operating, Inc.
U.S. Equal Emp't Opportunity Comm'n v. Gulf Logistics Operating, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Before the Court is Defendant Gulf Logistics Operating, Inc.'s 12(b)(6) "Motion to Dismiss." Rec. Doc. 7. Also before the Court is the EEOC's "Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant's 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss" (Rec. Doc. 14) and Defendant's "Reply Memorandum in Support of Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss" (Rec. Doc. 19). For the reasons discussed below,
IT IS ORDERED that Defendant's "Motion to Dismiss" (Rec. Doc. 7) is DENIED .
FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Defendant Gulf Logistics Operating, Inc. operates a fleet of boats in the Gulf of Mexico supporting companies engaged in oil and gas exploration. Rec. Doc. 2 ¶ 4. In October 2012, Defendant hired Jason Gunderson to work as a deckhand on one of Defendant's boats. Id. ¶ 16. While employed by Defendant, Gunderson was never disciplined regarding his performance of the essential functions of his job. Id. ¶ 17. In January 2013, Gunderson began having marital problems and, as a result, began experiencing emotional distress. Id. ¶ 18. He separated from his wife a few months later. Id. ¶ 19. In April 2013, Gunderson asked his manager, Randy Whittaker, for a referral to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to obtain help coping with the stress of his separation. Id.
Whittaker, a Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for Defendant, provided Gunderson with a list of numbers to call *834for EAP assistance. Id. ¶ 20. He told Gunderson, who expected to miss five days of work, that he would not be allowed to return to work without first obtaining a release from the company doctor. Id. ¶¶ 22, 23. Specifically, Whittaker told Gunderson that he "would not be able to send him back to his assigned vessel due to safety reasons and concerns regarding [Gunderson's] need to seek EAP assistance for his emotional distress." Id.
Gunderson returned to work approximately three weeks later, on or about May 20, 2013, at which time he presented a medical release from the company's doctor stating that he could return to work without any restrictions. Id. ¶ 24. The doctor's note "determined that Gunderson had 'situational' depression." Id. ¶ 25. Upon his return, Gunderson worked without restrictions, and he was given no indication of concern about his performance. Id. ¶ 28. However, two weeks later, on June 5, 2013, Defendant discharged Gunderson. Id. ¶ 27.
Gunderson filed a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging disability discrimination by Defendant. Id. ¶ 8. The EEOC found reasonable cause to believe that there had been a violation and issued a Letter of Determination that Defendant had discriminated against Gunderson. Id. ¶ 9. Subsequently, the EEOC attempted to remedy the discriminatory practice and to secure a conciliation agreement with Defendant; however, such attempts were unsuccessful and the EEOC issued a Notice of Failure of Conciliation on September 11, 2017. Id. ¶ 10-13. The EEOC then filed a complaint in this court against Defendant on September 21, 2017, alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (ADAAA). See Rec. Doc. 2.
The complaint alleges that Defendant discriminated against Gunderson by discharging him "because the Defendant perceived him to be a threat to the safety of others due to perceived 'distraction' caused by his situational depression or adjustment disorder in violation of the ADA[AA].
The EEOC seeks an injunction to enjoin Defendant from forcing individuals to seek a medical release to return to work after requesting an EAP referral, back-pay with prejudgment interest for Gunderson, and either reinstatement or front-pay to make Gunderson whole.
LAW AND ANALYSIS
"To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, ... [a plaintiff's complaint] need only include a 'short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.' " Hershey v. Energy Transfer Partners, L.P.,
The EEOC's complaint alleges two violations of the ADAAA, which prohibits a "covered entity" from "discriminat[ing] against a qualified individual on the basis of disability...."
The second claim alleges that Defendant discriminated against Gunderson in violation of
A covered entity shall not require a medical examination and shall not make inquiries of an employee as to whether such employee is an individual with a disability or as to the nature or severity of the disability, unless such examination or inquiry is shown to be job-related and consistent with business necessity.
The complaint alleges that Defendant would not allow Gunderson to return to work after seeking EAP assistance until he obtained a release from the company doctor. See
However, Defendant fails to request dismissal of the two claims actually pleaded in the complaint. Rather, Defendant seeks dismissal of "all claims ... arising from a disability under
Because Plaintiff has not sought leave to amend its complaint, the Court will not presently entertain arguments about whether Plaintiff would be able to amend in the future. See Rec. Doc. 14 at 8.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION v. GULF LOGISTICS OPERATING, INC.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published