Pinckney v. Jack
Pinckney v. Jack
Opinion of the Court
I. Introduction
Plaintiffs, Charlotte and Kyle Pinckney, brought this action against Defendant, The Pep Boys - Manny Moe & Jack, ("Pep Boys"), alleging racial discrimination in the making and enforcement of contracts in violation of
II. Factual Background
The Parties
Plaintiffs Kyle and Charlotte Pinckney, are a black couple, and are residents of the city of North Charleston, South Carolina. (Compl. ¶ 4; Answer ¶ 4; Am. SUF ¶¶ 15, 16; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 15, 16.)
*456Am. SUF ¶ 1; Resp. Am SUF ¶ 1.) Defendant requires all of its employees to follow a Code of Conduct, which demands a high standard of respect and courtesy in customer interactions and expressly prohibits the use of intimidation and abusive language. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 2-4; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 2-4.
The Incident
At approximately 3:45 p.m. on June 9, 2016, Mr. Pinckney brought his black 2010 Dodge Charger to a Pep Boys near his wife's place of employment in North Charleston to have the front right tire repaired because it was losing air and he believed he ran over a nail. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 17-19, 27; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 17, 19, 27; Ex. D, K. Pinckney Dep. 42:14-23.)
After arriving at the North Charleston Pep Boys, Mr. Pinckney was serviced by Jason Morton, Service Manager of the store. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 20-22; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 20-22.) Mr. Pinckney told Mr. Morton that he needed a plug in the front right tire and Mr. Morton asked Mr. Pinckney for his contact information and the make and model of his car, which Mr. Pinckney provided. (Am. SUF ¶ 23; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 23.) Mr. Morton also asked Mr. Pinckney to pull his car up to Service Bay One. (Am. SUF ¶ 24; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 24.) After Mr. Pinckney pulled his car into , rather than up to , Bay One, Mr. Morton allegedly
Mr. and Mrs. Pinckney returned to Pep Boys that evening around 7:00 p.m., at which time Mr. Morton allegedly stated "Oh, it's you again." (Am. SUF ¶¶ 28-29; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 28-29.) At that time, Mr. Morton directed the service technician, *457Scott Wurscher, to examine the Pinckney's car tire. (Am. SUF ¶ 30; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 30.) The Pinckneys observed their car on the lift in Service Bay One. (Am. SUF ¶ 31; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 31.)
Mr. Wurscher testified that he examined the tire and found it was punctured, such that it could not be inflated because air would rush out as fast as it could be pumped in. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 32,
Mr. Wurscher testified that Mr. Morton told him to fill the tire with air, so he put a plug in the tire before doing so, since it would not otherwise hold air. (Am. SUF ¶ 35-37.) Mr. Wurscher lowered the Pinckneys' car and drove it out of the service bay. (Am. SUF ¶ 39; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 39). He testified his work took about two minutes. (Am. SUF ¶ 40; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 40).
Inside, Mrs. Pinckney spoke to a woman and a man in the retail area and asked for the Pep Boys' complaint hotline phone number, so she could file a complaint against Mr. Morton. (Am. SUF ¶ 45; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 45.) Thereafter, Mr. and Mrs. Pinckney got in their car and left Pep Boys. (Am. SUF ¶ 46; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 46.) They were able to drive home safely. (Am. SUF ¶ 46; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 46.) Plaintiffs never paid for any service from Pep Boys on June 9, 2016. (Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 58; Def.'s Resp. Pls.' Additional Disputed Material Facts ¶ 58.)
Approximately one week later, Mrs. Pinckney told her coworker that Pep Boys repaired the tire. (Am. SUF ¶ 58; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 58.) On July 24, 2016, forty-five days later, the Pinckneys replaced the two front tires. (Am. SUF ¶ 49; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 49.) Mr. Pinckney had to put air in the tire at least once during that forty-five-day time period, though he could not recall when. (Am. SUF ¶ 48; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 48.)
The Hotline Complaint
Later in the evening of June 9, 2016, after the Pinckneys left Pep Boys, Mrs. Pinckney called the hotline to report the Pickneys' encounter with Mr. Morton. (Am. SUF ¶ 50; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 50.) The complaint was forwarded to Pep Boys' Area Director Shane Helton. (Am. SUF ¶ 51; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 51.) Mr. Helton and Mrs. Pinckney exchanged voicemails until June 15, 2016 but were never able to personally *458speak to one another. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 52-54; Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 52-54.) After three days of inactivity, Pep Boys closed Mrs. Pinckney's complaint on June 18, 2016. (Am. SUF ¶ 55; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 55.) Mr. and Mrs. Pinckney both testified Mr. Morton was the only person at Pep Boys who treated them differently because of their race. (Am. SUF ¶ 56; Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 56.) At some point, Mr. Morton accessed Pep Boys' electronic complaint filing system and falsely accused the Pinckneys of threatening to kill him. (Resp. Am. SUF ¶ 55).
III. Summary Judgment Standard of Review
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), a court shall grant summary judgment "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine [dispute] as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a summary judgment as a matter of law." Celotex Corp. v. Catrett ,
IV. Discussion
Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment contains three arguments. First, Defendant argues Plaintiffs' Race Discrimination Claims under
*4596, ECF No. 33-1.) Finally, Defendant argues Summary Judgment should be granted as to Plaintiffs' request for punitive damages because Defendant is not vicariously liable for the conduct of its employee, as Defendant made good faith efforts to comply with Federal Anti-Discrimination laws. (Def.'s Mot. Summ. J. 7, ECF No. 33-1.)
A. Plaintiffs'
Plaintiffs allege that Defendant is liable for its employee's racially discriminatory behavior because said behavior interfered with Plaintiffs' right to make and enforce contracts in violation of
"Although not identical, the requisite elements of claims under §§ 1981 and 1982 are quite similar." Brown v. Philip Morris Inc.,
1. § 1981 Claim
To succeed in their § 1981 claim, Plaintiffs must first establish a prima facie case of race discrimination. McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 802,
Defendant, in its Answer to Plaintiffs' Complaint, initially disputed the first element of Plaintiffs' prima facie case-Plaintiffs' race-as well as the second element, Mr. Morton's racial animus as evidenced in his manner of speaking. (Answer ¶¶ 4, 17-23.) However, Defendant later conceded the first element and did not actively dispute the second in its Motion for Summary Judgment. (Am. SUF ¶¶ 15, *46025, 42-44.) With respect to Plaintiffs' § 1981 claim, Defendant's Summary Judgment argument exclusively concerns the third element of Plaintiffs' prima facie case: the infringement of Plaintiffs' protected right to contract. (Def.'s Mot. Summ. J. 3-6, ECF No. 33-1.)
As set forth at greater length above, in support of its argument that Pep Boys serviced Plaintiffs' tire on June 9, 2016, Defendant asserts that:
- The tire in question could not hold air at the time it was in Defendant's service bay;
- Mr. Wurscher, the technician who performed the work, plugged the tire;
- After Mr. Wurscher performed the work, the tire held air;
- The Pinckneys drove the car home safely after leaving Pep Boys without having to inflate the tire with additional air;
- The Pinckneys did not replace the tire for another forty-five days; and,
- Mrs. Pinckney told her coworker that Pep Boys plugged the tire.
In opposition to Defendant's argument, Plaintiffs assert that:
- The tire was not plugged;
- Mr. Pinckney had to put air in the tire at least once before the Pinckneys replaced the tire forty-five days later;
- Mr. Morton said he wouldn't "[do] sh*t" for the Pinckneys; and,
- Pep Boys could not provide a transaction record showing the Pinckneys' tire was repaired.
The parties' assertions regarding whether Plaintiffs' tire was serviced are related to a material issue: the third element of Plaintiffs' prima facie case-whether Plaintiffs' protected right to contract was infringed. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. at 248,
"In considering ... a motion for summary judgment, we view the underlying facts and all reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion." Blunt v. Lower Merion School Dist. ,
2. § 1982 Claim
"The elements of a claim under § 1982 are (1) defendant's racial animus; (2) intentional discrimination; and (3) deprivation *461of plaintiff's property right based upon race." Campbell v. Koslosky , No. 06-3494,
When Plaintiffs went to Pep Boys, they specifically sought to contract for a service, not for property. Indeed, as expressed by Mrs. Pinckney, they were "not [there] for ... new tires." (Def.'s Ex. C, C. Pinckney Dep., 46:14-15.) Plaintiffs came to have their tire repaired. (Def.'s Ex. C, C. Pinckney Dep., 46:15-16; Def.'s Ex. D, K. Pinckney Dep., 42:14-19.) Because Plaintiffs at no time sought to contract with Pep Boys for real or personal property, and because § 1982 protects the rights of "[a]ll citizens" to deal in "real and personal property," Plaintiffs cannot establish the third element of their prima facie case under § 1982. So their § 1982 claim fails as a matter of law.
B. PHRA Claim
Defendant moves for Summary Judgment on Plaintiff's retracted PHRA claim. (Def.'s Mot. Summ. J. 6-7, ECF No. 33-1 (citing Pls.' Resp. Def.'s First Set Interrog.).) Because Plaintiffs withdrew
C. Punitive Damages
Plaintiffs seek $7,000,000 in punitive damages in connection with their race discrimination claims. (Compl. 6.) Defendant moves for summary judgment on the issue of punitive damages, arguing it is not vicariously liable for Mr. Morton's behavior because, through its employee training programs, Defendant made good-faith efforts to avoid such behavior by its employees. (Def.'s Mot. Summ. J. 8, ECF No. 33-1.) In support of its argument, Defendant presents evidence of its anti-discrimination policies and programs, and cites to Kolstad v. Am. Dental Ass'n. ,
In relevant part, Kolstad stands for the principle that where an employer makes a good-faith effort to educate itself and its employees on federal anti-discrimination laws by creating and implementing anti-discrimination programs, those employers should not be held vicariously liable for punitive damages due to the errant discriminatory behavior of even a managerial employee.
Plaintiffs here also cite Kolstad and Ridley ,
Plaintiffs additionally rely upon Arguello v. Conoco, Inc . for the proposition that the restrictive respondeat superior rules that apply in employment discrimination cases do not apply or are more relaxed in public accommodations discrimination cases. (Pls.' Br. Opp'n Def.'s Mot. Summ. J. 13-14 (citing
The distinction articulated in Arguello between employment discrimination and public accommodations discrimination is not based on any law which is binding in this Circuit.
The Fifth Circuit's discussion of general agency principles in Arguello does not suggest that agency, by itself, is sufficient to impose liability.
The undisputed facts in this case show that Defendant made good faith efforts to conform to applicable federal law by creating and implementing a relevant Code of Conduct, policies, and training programs. Defendant maintains a Code of Conduct requiring respect and courtesy on the part of all employees. Defendant requires its employees to complete various customer service trainings, which review Defendant's policies against harassment and discrimination. Defendant has a system in place for reporting grievances and it encourages directors and managers to report all incidents of discrimination and harassment. In light of Defendant's good-faith efforts to prevent the kind of intolerable racial animus alleged, Defendant may not be held vicariously liable for punitive damages for Mr. Morton's actions. Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment will therefore be granted with respect to Plaintiffs' request for punitive damages.
V. Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment shall be granted in part and denied in part. An appropriate Order follows.
Plaintiffs' race is identified in their own pleadings as "black." (Compl. ¶¶ 4, 17, 25.) Defendant refers to Plaintiffs' race as "African-American." (Def.'s Am. SUF ¶ 15.) For purposes of this discussion, the Court shall use the designation provided by Plaintiffs.
In paragraph 16, as well as paragraphs 3-14, and 57 of Plaintiffs' Response to Defendant's Amended SUF, Plaintiffs assert that facts stated in Defendant's Amended SUF are "[d]isputed as immaterial." (See generally ECF No. 40). Because Plaintiffs provide no support for their assertions, and because Plaintiffs fail to explain why certain facts are disputed as immaterial, this Court accepts same as undisputed. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c) and (e). Furthermore, the extent to which facts are material to this Court's disposition of the present Motion shall be determined by this Court. See Von Bialy v. Grill , No. CV 16-42,
With respect to all of Defendant's averments concerning Pep Boys' Human Relations policies and practices, see supra, n.2.
Some statements contained within the parties' statements of facts are allegations of fact. Inasmuch as said statements are presented and affirmed as testimony or allegations, as opposed to facts, they are subtly disputed. However, because these disputed facts provide important context, they shall be included herein for background purposes and specifically designated as either allegation or testimony.
Plaintiffs assert in paragraphs 32-36 and 38 of their Resp. Am. SUF that Mr. Wurscher's statements are disputed but, in explaining further, they affirm that Defendant's recitation of Mr. Wurscher's testimony is accurate. (Resp. Am. SUF ¶¶ 32-36 and 38.) Because Plaintiffs' Motion for Sanctions (ECF No. 37), which included a request to strike the deposition testimony of Scott Wurscher, was denied (ECF No. 45), and because this Court finds the statements contained in paragraphs 32-36 and 38 of Defendant's Am. SUF are consistent with the transcript of Mr. Wurscher's deposition (Def.'s Ex. E), paragraphs 32-36 and 38 of Defendant's Am. SUF will be deemed undisputed for purposes of this Motion.
McDonnell Douglas v. Green ,
Plaintiffs confirmed withdrawal of their 43 P.S. § 955 claim on page thirteen of their Brief in Opposition to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 39.) Said motion is therefore dismissed with prejudice.
The plaintiff in Ridley argued the employer's inadequate investigation into his discrimination complaint created a genuine issue of fact as to whether the employer made a good faith effort to implement and enforce its anti-discrimination policy.
Plaintiffs neglected to add a pincite and erroneously refer to Conoco as "Conono."
Plaintiff did not successfully oppose or dispute any facts relevant to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment on the issue of punitive damages. Plaintiffs therefore failed to shoulder their burden with respect to that issue. Santini v. Fuentes ,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Charlotte PINCKNEY v. The PEP BOYS - MANNY MOE & JACK
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published