Horton v. Espindola
Horton v. Espindola
Opinion of the Court
I. INTRODUCTION
Plaintiff Charles Horton is a former goalkeeper for Defendant D.C. United, *398Washington, D.C.'s Major League Soccer ("MLS") team. Plaintiff alleges that his career came to an untimely end after a teammate, Fabian Espindola, assaulted him during a dispute that left him with a concussion and persistent, debilitating injuries. In this action, Plaintiff seeks to hold responsible D.C. United and his former head coach, Defendant Benjamin Olsen, for their negligence in supervising Espindola and for Espindola's tortious conduct under the theory of respondeat superior liability.
Now before the court is Defendants D.C. United and Olsen's Motion to Dismiss. Defendants advance two arguments. First, they assert that Plaintiff's claims are preempted by federal labor law because resolving Plaintiff's tort claims would require interpreting and applying the terms of a collective bargaining agreement ("CBA") between MLS and the players' union. Second, Defendants contend that Plaintiff's claims must be dismissed because the sole remedy available to him arises under the District of Columbia Workers' Compensation Act.
Because Defendants attach the CBA and other evidence to their Motion to Dismiss, the court converts their Motion into one for summary judgment and, for the reasons that follow, denies summary judgment at this early stage without prejudice.
II. BACKGROUND
A. Factual Background
After a three-year stint with English soccer teams, Plaintiff Charles Horton, a goalkeeper, began his professional soccer career in the United States when he signed a contract with MLS in February 2016. First Am. Compl., ECF No. 14 [hereinafter Am. Compl.], ¶¶ 8-12. The District of Columbia's MLS team, Defendant D.C. United, acquired his rights. Id. ¶ 12. Defendant Benjamin Olsen is the head coach of D.C. United. Id. ¶¶ 3, 13.
Six weeks after signing the contract, tragedy struck Plaintiff. On March 29, 2016, Plaintiff's teammate, Fabian Espindola, attacked Plaintiff in the team's training room. Id. ¶¶ 13, 15-17. According to Plaintiff, following a video review session, Espindola began arguing with him about an "on-field issue" that had occurred two weeks earlier. Id. ¶ 16. Plaintiff told Espindola that he did not want to continue arguing and turned away, at which point Espindola "viciously struck" Plaintiff with his elbow, landing a blow on Plaintiff's left temple. Id. ¶ 17. Teammates and staff saw the incident and pulled Espindola away from Plaintiff. Id. Although Plaintiff immediately began experiencing symptoms associated with a concussion-including nausea, dizziness, shakiness, and sensitivity to light and sound-the team did not place him into MLS's concussion protocol, but instead allowed him to practice with the team that day. Id. ¶ 18.
Later that same day, Plaintiff met with his coach, Defendant Benjamin Olsen, to talk about the incident. Id. ¶ 19. At that meeting, Olsen "expressed to Mr. Horton" that he knew "Espindola had a history of violent conduct on and off the field." Id. ¶ 20. Olsen added that he had thought "it was only a matter of time" before Espindola acted violently toward a D.C. United teammate. Id. Before attacking Plaintiff, Espindola had been repeatedly disciplined for violent acts, including a six-game suspension in 2014 for "physically attacking a referee" during a match, a two-game suspension in 2014 for "violent conduct" toward another player, and an ejection from a game in July 2015 for attempting to elbow an opposing player in the head. Id. ¶ 21. Plaintiff, however, knew nothing of Espindola's track record. See id.
*399In the hours that followed the attack, Plaintiff's symptoms became more severe. Id. ¶ 22. He reported to practice the next day, on March 30, 2016, but he could not take the field. Id. D.C. United's athletic trainer ordered Plaintiff not to train, and a team physician diagnosed Horton with a concussion, after which Horton entered the concussion protocol. Id. The concussion sidelined Plaintiff for weeks. See id. ¶ 24. During that time, he continued to grapple with symptoms ranging from memory loss to chronic headaches and lack of concentration, and he underwent a variety of neurological, neurophysiological, and ophthalmological exams and treatments. Id.
In May 2016, even though his concussion symptoms remained, Plaintiff was medically cleared to play. Id. ¶ 26. He was "relegated temporarily to a lower-league team" as he tried to recover, but, while training there, Plaintiff broke a finger-an injury that prevented him from continuing with D.C. United that season. Id. Plaintiff never rejoined the team. He tried to reclaim his position in the 2017 season, but he "was unable to regain" the same level of play as before the attack by Espindola and the resulting concussion. Id. ¶ 27. At some point, Olsen and the D.C. United coaching staff told Plaintiff he "would no longer be a member of the D.C. United club." Id. Plaintiff then retired from professional soccer. Id. ¶ 28.
B. Procedural Background
Plaintiff filed suit against Espindola, Olsen, D.C. United, and MLS on March 27, 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. See Receipt of Original File, ECF No. 10, at 2-6.
On August 4, 2017, Plaintiff sought leave to file an Amended Complaint, see Mot. for Leave to File, ECF No. 12, which the court granted, see Minute Order, Aug. 7, 2017. The First Amended Complaint alleged one count of negligent supervision against Olsen and D.C. United; negligent hiring and retention against MLS; and assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Espindola. See generally Am. Compl. Additionally, Plaintiff sought to hold MLS and D.C. United vicariously liable for Espindola's and Olsen's torts under the theory of respondeat superior liability. See
In response to Plaintiff's amended pleading, Defendants Olsen, D.C. United, and MLS filed a joint Motion to Dismiss. See generally Defs.' Mot. to Dismiss, ECF No. 17 [hereinafter Defs.' Mot.]. Defendants asserted two grounds for dismissal. First, they maintained that all of Plaintiff's claims are preempted by Section 301 of the LMRA, because his state law claims are "substantially dependent upon analysis of the terms" of the CBA between MLS and the MLS Players Union.
*400Allis-Chalmers Corp. v. Lueck ,
On the same day that Plaintiff filed his opposition to Defendants' Motion, he filed a Notice of Dismissal of his claims against Defendant MLS. See generally Notice of Dismissal, ECF No. 22. Thus, the instant motion now concerns only Defendants D.C. United and Olsen ("Defendants").
III. DISCUSSION
A. Whether Defendants' Motion to Dismiss Should Be Converted into a Motion for Summary Judgment
Although Defendants have styled their motion as a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, their motion attaches and relies heavily upon the CBA and SPA. The introduction of these records raises the threshold question of whether the court should evaluate Defendants' motion under Rule 8(a)'s pleading standard or Rule 56's summary judgment standard. Not surprisingly, Defendants wish to proceed under Rule 8(a), while Plaintiff insists the court apply Rule 56's more rigorous standard, particularly because he has not yet had the opportunity to take discovery.
Rule 12(d) requires courts to treat a motion to dismiss brought under Rule 12(b)(6) as a motion for summary judgment when "matters outside the pleadings are presented to and not excluded by the court." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(d) ; see Hurd v. District of Columbia ,
Here, Defendants offer two reasons to treat the CBA and SPA as incorporated into the complaint, but neither is convincing. First, they argue that the two contracts are incorporated because Plaintiff's Amended Complaint "specifically mentions the SPA, and the CBA (of which it forms a part and incorporates by reference) is integral to Plaintiff's claims." Defs.' Mot., Mem. of Pts. & Auths. in Supp., ECF No. 17-1 [hereinafter Defs.' Mem.], at 14 n.5.
*401But merely "mention[ing]" the SPA, and alluding to the CBA, does not make either contract an "integral" part of the pleading. The CBA or SPA must "form" the basis for one or more of Plaintiff's claims. Yet here neither agreement is relevant to any of Plaintiff's tort claims against Defendants D.C. United and Olsen. The SPA arguably might have formed the basis for Plaintiff's respondeat superior theory against MLS, but MLS is no longer a defendant. Thus, both the CBA and SPA are matters outside the pleading, requiring the court to convert Defendants' motion into one for summary judgment. See Nakahata v. New York-Presbyterian Healthcare Sys., Inc. ,
Second, Defendants argue that the court may consider the CBA and SPA, without converting their motion to one for summary judgment, because a plaintiff "cannot, by tactical silence, avoid" the existence and relevance of a CBA. Defs.' Reply, ECF No. 26, at 4. That argument fails, however, because "[t]he plaintiff is master of the complaint and may assert state law causes of action that are independent of the CBA." Nakahata,
B. Whether Defendants Are Entitled to Summary Judgment
Under Rule 56, summary judgment is appropriate "if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A "genuine dispute" of a "material fact" exists when the fact is "capable of affecting the substantive outcome of the litigation" and "the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party." Elzeneiny v. District of Columbia ,
*402(stating that "summary judgment is premature unless all parties have had a full opportunity to conduct discovery") (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); Americable Int'l v. Dep't of Navy ,
With these principles in mind, the court turns to Defendants' arguments, addressing first their preemption defense and then their invocation of the WCA.
1. Section 301 Preemption
Section 301 of the LMRA confers exclusive federal jurisdiction over controversies involving CBAs and preempts any state-law causes of action if such claims are either: (1) founded on rights created by a CBA, or (2) substantially dependent upon analysis of the terms of such agreement. Lingle v. Norge Div. of Magic Chef, Inc. ,
The court starts by asking whether Section 301 preempts Plaintiff's intentional tort claims-assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress-predicated on respondeat superior liability. An employer may be held liable for the intentionally tortious acts of its employees committed within the scope of employment. See Burlington Indus., Inc. v. Ellerth ,
Defendants assert that Plaintiff's intentional tort claims are preempted because the court necessarily must analyze the CBA to determine whether Espindola was acting within the scope of his employment when he struck Plaintiff. Defs.' Mem. at 23-24. To illustrate the CBA's purported relevance, Defendants direct the court to Article 8 of that agreement, which describes the scope of an MLS player's obligations and duties, and Section 4 of the SPA, titled "Player Obligations," which sets forth the mental and physical standards an MLS player is required to maintain. Id. at 23. Without reference to these *403provisions, Defendants claim, it will be "impossible for the court to determine whether the alleged incident that took place between Plaintiff and Defendant Espindola was in the course and scope of Espindola's employment." Id. at 24.
The court is unpersuaded. Defendants have offered no evidence to suggest how Espindola's conduct, as described by Plaintiff, could possibly fall outside his duties and responsibilities as a player. Indeed, it is hard to conceive why the fact question of Espindola's scope of employment will be "substantially dependent" on an analysis of the CBA. See Allis-Chalmers ,
As to the negligent supervision claim, Defendants argue preemption on the ground that the court must look to the CBA to define the standard of care Defendants owed to Plaintiff and to determine whether that standard was breached. See id. at 18-20. Both questions, Defendants maintain, implicate the CBA because that contract establishes rules as to the type of discipline available, when it may be imposed, and by whom (MLS or D.C. United). See id. Defendants cite a host of non-binding authority to support their argument and so, too, does Plaintiff for the contrary position.
Defendants' preemption defense regarding the negligent supervision claim presents a closer call, but ultimately fails for lack of factual support. Under District of Columbia law, when negligence is alleged to have occurred "in a context which is within the realm of common knowledge and everyday experience," the plaintiff need not provide expert testimony to establish the applicable standard of care or prove the defendant's breach of it. Beard v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. ,
2. Immunity under the D.C. Workers' Compensation Act
Having concluded that Defendants are not entitled to summary judgment at this stage based on Section 301 preemption, the court turns to their alternative argument: That the WCA confers upon them immunity from Plaintiff's tort claims. The WCA provides a no-fault system of liability for the accidental injury or death of employees in the District of Columbia occurring within the course of employment. See Grillo v. Nat'l Bank of Wash. ,
The parties here do not dispute that, if applicable, the WCA would provide the exclusive remedy for Plaintiff's injuries. Their disagreement centers on whether D.C. United qualifies as an "employer" under the WCA and is thus immune from suit. The Act defines an "employer," in relevant part, as "includ[ing] any individual, firm, association, or corporation, or receive, or trustee of the same ... using the service of another for pay within the District of Columbia."
Defendants contend that D.C. United was Plaintiff's special employer for two reasons. See Defs.' Mem. at 27-30. First, although Defendants acknowledge that Plaintiff signed an employment agreement only with MLS, and not D.C. United, they contend that D.C. United is a "joint" employer because the CBA provides that: "[f]or purposes of workers compensation *405coverage, the parties"-MLS and the players' union-"acknowledge and agree that MLS and the Team that the Player has been assigned to are joint employers of that Player." See id. at 28 (quoting the CBA). Phrased alternatively, Defendants would have this court conclude, as a matter of law, that D.C. United is Plaintiff's special employer, and thus enjoys the WCA's immunity, because the players' union and MLS entered into a contract stating as much. District of Columbia law is to the contrary, however. The D.C. Court of Appeals has stated that, "[u]nder workers' compensation law, the companies' characterization of their temporary staffing arrangement cannot be allowed to override its reality." Love ,
Defendants' second argument relies on Namoff v. D.C. Soccer , No. 2012 CA 7050,
"Whether an individual is a special employee is generally a question of fact," Union Light & Power Co.,
V. CONCLUSION AND ORDER
For the foregoing reasons, the court converts Defendants' Motion to Dismiss into a motion for summary judgment and denies that motion without prejudice. In light of the court's denial of summary judgment to Defendants, there is no need *406for the court to address Plaintiff's Rule 56(d) arguments as to his alleged need to conduct additional discovery.
Citations are to the page numbers automatically generated by CM/ECF.
Plaintiff did not serve Espindola before the other three defendants removed the case to this court. Espindola is believed to be living outside the United States. See Joint LCvR 16.3 Report to the Court, ECF No. 11, at 1 n.1. In early March 2018, Plaintiff requested a summons for Espindola, see Request, ECF No. 27; Summons Issued Electronically, ECF No. 28, but service appears not to have been accomplished.
Defendants accurately characterize the complaint as only "mentioning" the CBA and SPA. The SPA is the only contract referenced in the Amended Complaint, and it appears in paragraph 14, which states in full:
The employment contract Mr. Horton signed with MLS expired on December 31, 2016. Under this employment contract, MLS had the unilateral discretion at the end of the contract period to extend Mr. Horton's playing services for an additional twelve months or conversely refuse Mr. Horton's future services. MLS had this discretion for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons pursuant to their employment of Mr. Horton. MLS was at all relevant times solely responsible for paying Mr. Horton's compensation and benefits and negotiating any and all details of his employment.
Am. Compl. ¶ 14.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Charles A. HORTON v. Fabian ESPINDOLA
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published