JANE TRICHE MILAZZO, District Judge.
Before the Court is Defendant F.A. Richard & Associates, Inc.'s Motion to Dismiss (R. Doc. 16). For the following reasons, the Motion is GRANTED.
This case arises out of the termination of Plaintiff, Dr. Anna Hall, from her job as a professor at Delgado Community College. Plaintiff alleges that she began working as an instructor at Delgado in August of 1997. In September of 2013, Dr. Hall took sick leave for a period of six days. She alleges that she was then suspended from her duties in November of 2013 when her medical issues resurfaced and was terminated in December of 2013. She states that she was not given a written explanation of her suspension and that the written reason indicated for her termination was "poor performance." She further alleges that Delgado failed to follow its own internal procedures in her termination, including its professor evaluation policy, its formal grievance policy, and its notice provisions. Plaintiff's chief complaints appear to be wrongful termination, denial of due process rights, and failure to provide reasonable accommodations for her disability. Plaintiff first filed her Complaint in state court against Delgado Community College ("Delgado"), the Louisiana Community and Technical College System ("LCTCS"), the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges,
Defendant the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges removed the case to this Court and then filed a motion to dismiss. The Court granted the motion, dismissing the defendants Delgado and LCTCS and the claims for ADA reasonable accommodations and due process violations. Subsequently, Defendant FARA filed the instant Motion to Dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. FARA's Motion argues that Plaintiff has no claim against FARA under Louisiana's Direct Action Statute because FARA is not an insurance provider.
To survive a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, a plaintiff must plead enough facts "to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face."
To be legally sufficient, a complaint must establish more than a "sheer possibility" that the plaintiff's claims are true.
FARA filed the instant Motion to Dismiss for Plaintiff's failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. Plaintiff has not opposed this Motion. The Court may not, however, simply grant the instant Motion as unopposed. The Fifth Circuit approaches the automatic grant of dispositive motions with considerable aversion.
In its Motion, FARA contends that it is an improper defendant in this action pursuant to Louisiana's Direct Action Statute. Louisiana's Direct Action Statute allows plaintiffs to bring a direct action against their liability insurers.
For the foregoing reasons, Movant's Motion is GRANTED. Plaintiff's claims against FARA are DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. Plaintiff is given leave to amend her Complaint within 20 days of this Order to the extent that she can plausibly state a claim against FARA in its role as the third-party administrator for Louisiana's Office of Risk Management.