ELIZABETH A. KOVACHEVICH, District Judge.
This matter comes before the Court pursuant to Defendant's, CORINTHIAN COLLEGES, INC., a Delaware Corporation d/b/a EVEREST UNIVERSITY, Motion for Summary Judgment, or in the Alternative, Partial Summary Judgment (the "Motion"), (Doc. # 29), filed July 7, 2014, and Plaintiffs Response in Opposition, (Doc. # 45), filed August 19, 2014. For the reasons that follow, the Motion is
Plaintiff filed the instant Complaint on July 5,2013. (Doc. # 1). Defendant answered the Complaint August 5,2013. After conducting nearly a years' worth of discovery, Defendant filed the subject Motion, asserting Plaintiff's claims fail as a matter of law. Defendant argues: 1) Plaintiffs Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") claim fails because her conduct is not considered "leave" protected by the FMLA; 2) Plaintiffs Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and Florida Civil Rights Act ("FCRA") claims fail because Plaintiff was unable or unwilling to fulfill job responsibilities, her actions and demands were not a reasonable accommodation, and her conduct created an undue hardship for Defendant. (Doc. # 29). Plaintiff opposes these arguments, and contends the record evidence is creates disputed material facts sufficient to survive summary judgment. (Doc. # 45).
Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, discovery, disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits demonstrate there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c).
The appropriate substantive law will guide the determination of which facts are material and which facts are irrelevant.
Defendant first argues Plaintiff's claim under the FMLA fails because "Plaintiff sought the right (a) to work part-time hours in a full-time position; (b) to be late as frequently and for as long as she pleased; (c) to be frequently but unpredictably absent; and (d) never to have to communicate directly with clarity when she would actually be at work." (Doc. # 29, p. 7). To support these contentions, Defendant relies on paragraphs 24 through 31, and 42 through 60, of its undisputed facts. (Doc. # 29, p. 7) (citing Doc. #31). These paragraphs outline both general and specific instances of when Plaintiff was late to, absent from, or left early from work, and failed to appropriately and adequately notify her supervisors.
In response, Plaintiff disputes Defendant's factual recitations. (Doc. # 46). Specifically, Plaintiff alleges she reported to work at noon on July 19,2011, left early at 4:00 PM for a doctor's appointment, called at 5:28 PM to inform her supervisors her appointment ran longer than expected, and she would "return as soon as she could" (Doc. # 46, ¶ 20); however, Plaintiff does not dispute Defendant's contention that Plaintiff failed to notify her supervisors of her departure in a timely manner. Further, Plaintiff alleges she complied with the call-in policy and informed her supervisors she would be late for her September 20, 2011, shift, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 23), as well as her September 29,2011, shift; however, Plaintiff does not provide a specific basis for the tardiness of her notifications for these two September shifts. Finally, Plaintiff states when she was physically able to call work, she did, and when she was able to provide specific times, she would. (Doc. # 46, ¶ 33). Plaintiff further states.it was sometimes impossible to give advance notice of tardiness or absence because: 1) she maybe drowsy or asleep due to sedatives administered during blood transfusions, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 29); 2) lack of ready access to a telephone or cellular signal during treatments, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 30); 3) flare-ups at home caused extreme diarrhea, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 31); 4) "unbearable pain of fissures, fistulas, erythema nodosum" prevented Plaintiff from walking to reach a telephone, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 32); and 5) Plaintiff's Crohn's disease "precluded her from making a call in advance of her scheduled shift or knowing when her diarrhea or blood transfusion would end, (Doc. # 46, ¶ 34).
Defendant further contends Plaintiff's failure to follow the appropriate call-in procedures permits Defendant to deny leave. Plaintiff adamantly disputes the consistency of the call-in procedures, and contends Defendant's policy contained in the handbook conflicts with the procedures her supervisors shared with her and testified to at deposition. (Doc. # 45, pp. 4-6). Specifically, Plaintiff's supervisor testified to a strict, pre-shift call-in procedure that directly contradicted Defendant's policy of calling in as soon as possible.
Sufficient, disputed material facts exist to preclude a finding of summary judgment with respect to Plaintiff's claims under the Family Medical Leave Act. While Plaintiff's actions might have been erratic or unpredictable, Plaintiff has sufficiently alleged disputed material facts and provided conflicting accounts for her tardiness and absences. Further, Plaintiff has elicited testimony evidencing material conflicts between Defendant's call-in procedures and those her supervisors regularly employed, which creates a genuine issue of material fact with respect to the usual and customary practice of requesting leave under FMLA. Therefore, assessing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party—the Plaintiff—the Court must deny Defendant's motion with respect to Plaintiffs cause of action under the FMLA.
Defendant next argues Plaintiff's claim for retaliation in violation of the FMLA fails because Plaintiff cannot carry her burden to rebut Defendant's proffered legitimate, non-discriminatory basis for her termination. Defendant articulates Plaintiff was terminated due to her "admitted and repeated failure to follow [Defendant's] call-in policy, which required [Plaintiff] to call her supervisor
Plaintiff asserts she has met the shifted burden announced in
Defendant's request for summary judgment on the issue of retaliation must be denied as a matter of law. In
Defendant next argues Plaintiff's claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") fails because: 1) Plaintiff is not a qualified individual due to her inability to fulfill a bona fide job requirement—regular attendance; and 2) Plaintiffs suggested accommodation is not reasonable. (Doc. # 29, p. 19). Plaintiff opposes Defendant, and claims Defendant could have provided a "part time or modified work schedule" as an accommodation under the ADA because "a singular schedule was not essential to the position of Student Service Coordinator—Online" and Plaintiff satisfactorily performed her job duties. (Doc. # 45, p. 19). Plaintiff continues, suggesting Defendant "could have reasonably accommodated [Plaintiffs] disability by allowing her to work later—or to be absent when medically necessary—and make up that time before or after her shifts" because the hours and days were variable, other coordinators worked different times, and the position did not require 40 hours per week. (Doc. # 45, p. 19).
Plaintiffs claim fails as a matter of law. First, she is not a qualified individual. Second, she did not request an accommodation, nor was the after-the-fact request reasonable. To prevail under the ADA, a plaintiff must show that: 1) she has a disability; 2) she is a qualified individual; and 3) the discrimination was the result of an unlawful discrimination based on her disability.
While fact questions might remain regarding whether Plaintiff is a qualified individual, there is no question of fact as to whether Plaintiff demanded a reasonable accommodation before her termination—she simply did not—thus, Plaintiff cannot make a
Both Plaintiff and Defendant concede relief under the Florida Civil Rights Act ("FCRA") is construed in conformity with the ADA. (Doc. # 29, p. 24; Doc. # 45, p. 21, n. 9). Based on the ADA analysis above, the Plaintiffs FCRA claim fails as a matter of law.
Accordingly, it is
Summary judgment is hereby entered in favor of Defendants for Counts III (ADA) and IV (FRCA) of Plaintiff's Complaint.
Summary judgment is denied on Counts I (FMLA) and II (FMLA Retaliation).