SHARION AYCOCK, District Judge.
This cause comes before the Court on Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration [26], Defendant's Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim [29], and Plaintiff's Motion for Judgment [31]. Having duly considered the motions, responses, rules, and authorities, the Court finds as follows:
On June 18, 2008, Plaintiff Michael de Graffenried was employed as a truck driver by Defendant Smithway Motor Xpress, Inc. On that day, Plaintiff claims he was attacked by two men while attempting to deliver goods for Defendant in Memphis, Tennessee. Plaintiff alleges he was able to return to his truck and contact Defendant, who instructed him to leave the area with the truck. Plaintiff drove away and contacted his wife, seeking medical attention. Plaintiff was taken to the hospital where he was given "pain killer drugs to aid him in sleeping, etc." Plaintiff alleges in his complaint:
Plaintiff claims Defendant terminated his employment on July 1, 2008 for failing to take a drug test and has since reported Plaintiff's alleged failure to other companies with which Plaintiff has sought employment.
Plaintiff filed this action pro se on January 14, 2014, asserting that "Defendant should be held liable for any difference in income that he would have had, had he remained employed as a truck driver, and what he has made since the accident" and demanding judgment in the amount of $146,845.49, as well as punitive damages. Defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss [7], arguing among other things that Plaintiff's claims are barred by the applicable statutes of limitations. However, addressing the issue of subject matter jurisdiction sua sponte, the Court determined that it was unable to rule upon Defendant's motion because Plaintiff failed to adequately establish the Court's jurisdiction over this action. The Court entered an Order [20] granting Plaintiff leave to amend his Complaint no later than April 29, 2014 and specifically stated therein that the "[f]ailure to timely file an amended complaint shall result in the dismissal of this action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction."
Plaintiff failed to comply with the Court's Order, and the Court dismissed this action without prejudice on June 12, 2014, finding that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction. Thereafter, on June 24, 2014, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Reconsideration [26] and an Amended Complaint [27]. Defendant has filed a second Motion to Dismiss [29], and Plaintiff has additionally filed a Motion for Judgment [31].
Whereas this action was dismissed on June 12, 2014, the Court must first consider Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration [26].
The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure do not specifically provide for a motion for reconsideration, but the Fifth Circuit has held that a district court may entertain such a motion and treat it as a motion to alter or amend under Rule 59(e) or as a motion for relief from judgment under Rule 60(b).
"Rule 59(e) motions provide relief for the movant on grounds at least as broad as Rule 60 motions."
In its Order [20] dated April 8, 2014, the Court found sua sponte that Plaintiff failed to meet his burden of establishing subject matter jurisdiction. Plaintiff's Complaint wholly failed to address jurisdiction but alleged that he is a resident and citizen of Mississippi and that Defendant is a corporation doing business in Mississippi and "domiciled" in Iowa. Based upon these allegations and the amount of damages sought, the Court speculated that federal diversity jurisdiction might be present.
Plaintiff did not follow the directive of the Court and failed to amend his Complaint during the time period set out by the Court. Instead, Plaintiff filed a Pleading Motion to Enter All Relevant and Discoverable Evidence of Factual and Subject Matters [22] consisting of nine evidentiary exhibits. As the Court explained in its Memorandum Opinion [24] dated June 12, 2014, none of the attached documents contained sufficient information to establish Defendant's citizenship or the presence of diversity jurisdiction. Accordingly, the Court found that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction and dismissed Plaintiff's Complaint without prejudice.
Thereafter, Plaintiff filed both the instant Motion for Reconsideration [26] and an Amended Complaint [27]. Though Plaintiff does not specifically request that the Court reopen this matter or explain his failure to comply with the Court's prior order, he attaches to both his Motion for Reconsideration and Amended Complaint documents that purport to establish Defendant's state of incorporation as well as its principal place of business, both of which appear to be the state of Iowa. Defendant has filed a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff's Amended Complaint [29] but has not responded to Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration. Further, Defendant has not contested Plaintiff's assertions that it is a citizen of Iowa and that this Court possesses subject matter jurisdiction over this matter.
Accordingly, the Court is satisfied that subject matter jurisdiction is present in the form of diversity jurisdiction and, mindful of Plaintiff's pro se status, GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration [26] in the interests of justice. Further, though filed without leave, the Court accepts Plaintiff's Amended Complaint [27] as a supplement to the original Complaint [1] and proceeds to an analysis of Defendant's Motion to Dismiss [29].
"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.'"
Ultimately, the court's task "is to determine whether the plaintiff has stated a legally cognizable claim that is plausible, not to evaluate the plaintiff's likelihood of success."
With respect to pro se plaintiffs, the Court liberally construes their pleadings.
Plaintiff does not specifically allege any cause of action or reference any law in either his Complaint or supplement. In moving for dismissal of Plaintiff's claims, Defendant identifies three possible state law causes of action based upon the facts asserted in the complaint: wrongful termination, termination in violation of a drug and alcohol testing program, and slander. Defendant argues that all claims are barred by the applicable statutes of limitations.
"While dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) ordinarily is determined by whether the facts alleged, if true, give rise to a cause of action, a claim may also be dismissed if a successful affirmative defense appears clearly on the face of the pleadings."
Whereas the Court has determined that diversity jurisdiction exists pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), Mississippi law controls with regard to any applicable statutes of limitations.
As to wrongful termination, Defendant cites Mississippi's general statute of limitations, which states in pertinent part that "[a]ll actions for which no other period of limitation is prescribed shall be commenced within three (3) years next after the cause of such action accrued, and not after." MISS. CODE. ANN. § 15-1-49(1). This Court has previously recognized that "[t]he appropriate statute of limitations for wrongful termination under Mississippi law is the `catch-all' statute of limitations, Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49."
Similarly, Defendant directs the Court to Mississippi Code § 71-7-25(1) as barring any potential action by Plaintiff for termination in violation of a drug and alcohol testing program.
Thus, to the extent that Plaintiff seeks relief under Mississippi Code §§ 71-7-1 et seq., his claims are also clearly barred by the applicable statute of limitations and are due to be dismissed.
With regard to the action of slander, Defendant cites Mississippi Code § 15-1-35, which states that "all actions for slanderous words concerning the person or title, for failure to employ, and for libels, shall be commenced within one (1) year next after the cause of such action accrued, and not after." MISS. CODE. ANN. § 15-1-35. Unlike his purported claims related to termination, though, Plaintiff's Complaint is less clear with regard to when any potential claim for slander may have accrued. Plaintiff's Complaint states:
Based on these allegations, the Court cannot say that Plaintiff's Complaint shows on its face a bar to relief.
For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiff's Motion for Reconsideration [26] is GRANTED, and this matter is hereby reopened. Additionally, Defendant's Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim [29] is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Plaintiff's claims for wrongful termination and termination in violation of a drug and alcohol testing program are dismissed with prejudice, but his claim for slander remains. Finally, Plaintiff's Motion for Judgment [31] is DENIED without prejudice. A separate order to that effect shall issue this day.
SO ORDERED.
MISS. CODE. ANN. § 71-7-1(g).