PAUL A. CROTTY, District Judge.
Arnold M. Wachtel ("Plaintiff") sues the National Railroad Passenger Corporation and Amtrak ("Defendants") under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA"), the New York State Human Rights Law ("NYSHRL"), the New York City Human Rights Law ("NYCHRL"), and for breach of contract.
In April 2007, Plaintiff applied for a police officer position with Defendants. (Am. Compl. ¶ 16.) On June 13, 2007, Plaintiff received notification from Defendants that he had been "conditionally selected" for the position, but the "offer is contingent" on Plaintiff passing a background check and a medical and psychological examination. (
On January 28, 2011, Plaintiff filed a complaint against Defendants. On June 6, 2011, Defendants moved to dismiss Plaintiff's breach of contract claim, which the Court granted on July 29, 2011, with leave to amend. The Court held that Plaintiff failed to allege that a contract existed because Plaintiff failed to either (1) allege that he satisfied all of the conditions precedent to formation of the contract, or (2) explain why Plaintiff is excused from completing such conditions precedent. On August 25, 2011, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint, alleging that he did not complete the physical and mental examinations—which were conditions precedent to the contract—because Defendants prevented him from doing so. (
"To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to `state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.'"
In considering a motion to dismiss, a court may consider the pleadings, but may also consider documents "integral to the complaint," or documents necessarily relied on by the plaintiff in drafting the complaint.
A successful breach of contract claim under New York law, requires (1) the existence of a contract, (2) the plaintiff's performance, (3) breach by the defendant, and (4) the existence of damages.
The parties agree that passing mental and physical examinations are "conditions precedent" to Defendants' conditional offer. (Am. Compl. ¶ 26; Embry Decl., Ex. B.) The parties agree that Plaintiff did not take (and thus did not pass) the required mental and psychological examinations. (See Am. Comp. ¶ 27.) Plaintiff alleges, however, that Defendants prevented him from taking the required examinations, thereby excusing his performance. (
"That general rule, however, applies when there is a binding contract in effect that contains the condition precedent in question. . . ."
Here, the June 13, 2007 letter makes clear that Plaintiff's completion of physical and mental examinations were conditions precedent to the formation of the contract, by stating:
(Embry Decl., Ex. B (emphasis added).) Since Plaintiff did not complete all of the conditions precedent, no contract was formed, and Defendants were under no implied obligation not to frustrate or prevent the performance of the conditions precedent.
Plaintiff also argues that the June 13, 2007 letter does not reflect the "agreement Plaintiff entered into" and that "Plaintiff signed a contract accepting employment in or around the time that Defendants sent this offer of conditional employment." (Pl. Opp. 3-4 (citing Am. Compl. ¶¶ 33-38, Wachtel Aff. ¶ 4.) In his Amended Complaint, however, Plaintiff neither alleges that he signed any agreement with Defendants, nor implies that there was any agreement besides the conditional offer conveyed in the June 13, 2007 letter. While Plaintiff attached an affidavit to his opposition brief in an attempt to support his argument, the Court cannot consider affidavits in ruling on a motion to dismiss.
Since Plaintiff failed to complete all of the condition precedent to the formation of the alleged contract, no contract was ever formed. Having failed to allege the existence of a valid contract, Plaintiff's breach of contract action fails.
For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' motion to dismiss Plaintiff's breach of contract claim is GRANTED. The Clerk of Court is directed to terminate the pending motion at docket number 17
The parties are directed to meet and confer and to submit a civil case management plan.