JOANNA SEYBERT, District Judge.
Plaintiff Susan Rodriguez ("Plaintiff") commenced this action on June 18, 2014, against defendants the Glen Cove City School District (the "District"), the Glen Cove City Board of Education (the "Board"), Nelson Iocolano ("Iocolano"), Joseph Laria ("Laria"), Louis Zocchia ("Zocchia"), Cassandra Shannon ("Shannon"), Ida McQuair ("McQuair"), and Janice Larocca ("Larocca" and collectively, "Defendants").
Plaintiff, an African-American female who suffers from multiple sclerosis, is employed by the District as a tenured mathematics teacher in the Finley Middle School (the "School"). (SAC ¶¶ 1, 19.) Plaintiff began working at the School in 1998. (SAC ¶ 19.) Throughout her employment, Plaintiff received positive evaluations, some of which credited her with being a mentor to other teachers within the school. (SAC ¶ 22.) In 2010, for example, Shannon began teaching seventh grade math for the first time. Upon Shannon's request, Plaintiff provided Shannon with lesson plans that Plaintiff created. Shannon found the lesson plans useful, used them throughout the year, and in the fall of 2011 she passed the lesson plans to a new hire. (SAC ¶ 23.)
In the spring of 2012, Plaintiff was appointed to teach the seventh grade honors math class. (SAC ¶ 25.) She began teaching the class in the fall of 2012. That fall, Defendant Iocolano was hired as the School's Principal. (SAC ¶ 26.) According to Plaintiff, Iocolano harbored a discriminatory animus against African Americans, as evidenced by, among other things, his refusal to hang a portrait of Nelson Mandela in his office. (SAC ¶ 26.)
In October 2012, Plaintiff discovered that several students failed her first graded test. (SAC ¶ 28.) Plaintiff was concerned, and upon investigating, discovered that some of her students did not meet the academic requirements to be in the seventh-grade honors math class. (SAC ¶ 29.) Plaintiff alleges, upon information and belief, that several Caucasian students were placed in the honors class because their parents wanted the students in a class with predominantly white students. (SAC ¶¶ 30-31.) Plaintiff voiced her concerns to Iocolano and Israel, and suggested transferring some students out of her class. (SAC ¶¶ 33-34.) Iocolano and Israel ignored her suggestion and instead instructed Plaintiff to stop using the pacing guide and curriculum maps that were created for the course in the summer of 2012. (SAC ¶ 34, 36.)
At the end of October, a medical emergency required Plaintiff to take a leave of absence until mid-December. (SAC ¶ 38.) During her absence, defendant Shannon taught Plaintiff's seventh grade honors math class. (SAC ¶ 39.) Iocolano called Plaintiff on December 14, 2012 and informed her that class performance had improved under Shannon, and that students preferred Shannon to Plaintiff. (SAC ¶ 40.) Iocolano also told Plaintiff that she would need to observe a number of Shannon's classes before she could resume teaching the seventh grade honors math class. (SAC ¶ 40.)
Plaintiff returned to work on December 17, 2012 and observed Shannon teaching her class. Plaintiff claims that, as a veteran educator, she was embarrassed to be forced to observe another teacher in front of her students. (SAC ¶ 41.) When Plaintiff eventually began teaching honors math again in January 2013, she was required to send all of her lessons, homework assignments, and other written materials to Shannon for review. (SAC ¶ 42.)
Following a mid-term exam, the School received complaints from parents about both the difficulty of the honors math course and Plaintiff's teaching abilities. (SAC ¶¶ 44-46.) Defendant McQuair, a member of the Board of Education and the mother of one of Plaintiff's students, complained directly to Plaintiff about her performance. (SAC ¶ 48.) According to Plaintiff, she spoke to her "with a demeaning and condescending tone." (SAC ¶ 48.) On one occasion, McQuair left a message for Plaintiff, stating that "the honors math class was too difficult." (SAC ¶ 49.) When Plaintiff called McQuair back, McQuair threatened Plaintiff's job and stated that she was a member of the District Superintendent's inner circle. (SAC ¶¶ 49-50.)
On February 5, 2013, Plaintiff was called to a meeting at the Superintendent's office. There, Plaintiff was removed from her position as an honors math teacher and replaced by Shannon for the remainder of the year. (SAC ¶ 52.) Plaintiff claims, upon information and belief, that McQuair was influential in this decision. (SAC ¶ 52.) Iocolano informed Plaintiff during the meeting that: (1) she would need to be observed for the remainder of the year in the "regular" seventh-grade math class she was assigned to teach; (2) she needed to continue to observe Shannon's classes; and (3) if her performance did not improve, the District would take measures to relieve her of her duties. (SAC ¶¶ 55-56.)
On February 25, 2013, Iocolano observed Plaintiff's class and assigned her a rating of "developing," which "indicated her lesson was less than effective." (SAC ¶ 57.) This was the first negative performance evaluation that Plaintiff received during her fourteen-year tenure with the District. (SAC ¶ 57.) Although it was a generally accepted practice that teachers who felt they were observed on a "bad day" could request a second observation, Plaintiff's request for a second observation was denied. (SAC ¶ 58.)
In February 2013, Plaintiff proposed the idea of holding a "Saturday Academy" program to bring the students up to State-mandated standards. (SAC ¶ 60.) When the school began organizing Saturday math classes, Plaintiff applied for the teaching position. (SAC ¶ 61.) Plaintiff was previously told she would be selected for the position because she helped develop the program. (SAC ¶ 62.) On March 7, 2013, however, Plaintiff was informed that another Caucasian teacher had been selected for the position. (SAC ¶ 63.)
On March 28, 2013, Plaintiff filed a complaint against Defendants with the EEOC. (SAC ¶ 65.) Subsequently, Plaintiff was informed that she was not scheduled to teach honors math class during the 2013-2014 school year. (SAC ¶ 66.)
In May 2013, Plaintiff underwent another formal performance evaluation and received an "Effective" rating. (SAC ¶ 68.) But in September 2013, she was given an overall rating of "Developing" for her 2012-2013 yearly performance. (SAC ¶ 68.) In addition, she was designated as the "teacher of record" for the entire 2012-2013 school year, even though she was out on medical leave for a significant portion of the year. (SAC ¶ 69.) Plaintiff claims that this designation "served to artificially lower [her] overall performance score." (SAC ¶ 69.)
Plaintiff also alleges that Defendants temporarily assigned Plaintiff to a classroom without air conditioning for the 2013 to 2014 school year. (SAC ¶ 71.) Because Plaintiff suffers from multiple sclerosis, hot temperatures trigger her symptoms. (SAC ¶ 72.)
On March 25, 2015, the Court issued an Order (the "March 2015 Order") dismissing Plaintiff's claims for First Amendment retaliation and for maintaining a hostile work environment. (March 2105 Order, Docket Entry 16, at 24.) However, the Court granted Plaintiff leave to amend to allow Plaintiff to allege discrimination claims. Plaintiff filed the SAC on April 24, 2015, (Docket Entry 17), and Defendants now move to dismiss the SAC. (Docket Entry 19.) Defendants principally argue that Plaintiff (1) does not allege a disability discrimination claim, (2) does not state a claim for retaliation, and (3) Plaintiff's state law claims must be dismissed against certain defendants. (Defs.' Br., Docket Entry 21, at 9-14, 16-19, 20-24.)
In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, the Court applies a "plausibility standard," which is guided by "[t]wo working principles."
In deciding a motion to dismiss, the Court is confined to "the allegations contained within the four corners of [the] complaint."
Defendants argue that Plaintiff's race and disability discrimination claims must be dismissed because the Complaint does not allege that Plaintiff suffered an adverse employment action, a required element of both a discrimination claim brought under either Title VII or the ADA. (Defs.' Br. at 9-10.) "To make out a
A plaintiff "sustains an adverse employment action if he or she endures a `materially adverse change' in the terms and conditions of employment."
The fact that Plaintiff was not chosen for a position as a Saturday math academy teacher is not an adverse employment action.
Plaintiff also argues that Defendants' decision to remove her as the seventh-grade honors math class teacher was an adverse employment action. (Pl.'s Opp. Br. at 10.) Not all lateral transfers within an institution rise to the level of an adverse employment action. Only internal transfers which "result[] in a change in responsibilities so significant as to constitute a setback to the plaintiff's career" are actionable, while "pure" lateral transfers—those which cannot be classified as demotion in form or substance—are not.
Plaintiff alleges that she was removed from her position teaching an honors math class and relegated to a position teaching a "regular" math class. Although one can infer that teaching an honors math class could be more prestigious than teaching a regular math class, the Complaint is devoid of facts indicating that teaching "regular" seventh-grade math was materially less prestigious, more suited to Plaintiff's skills, or less conducive to her career advancement.
In the disparate treatment context, receiving negative performance evaluations is not an adverse employment action unless there is an accompanying negative result.
Plaintiff also alleges that even if each individual incident described in the Complaint is not an adverse employment, the incidents collectively amount to an adverse action. (Pl.'s Opp. Br. at 12.) The Second Circuit has held that "a combination of seemingly minor incidents" may become an adverse employment action once the incidents "reach a critical mass."
Assuming that multiple incidents can be aggregated to form an adverse employment action for purposes of a discrimination claim, the "key inquiry remains, [ ] whether that combination changed the terms of a plaintiff's employment."
Defendant argues that Plaintiff has not alleged facts showing Plaintiff suffered an adverse action under circumstances giving rise to an inference of disability discrimination. (Defs.'s Br. at 14.) In its March 2015 Order, the Court found that Plaintiff's allegations were "devoid of any allegations that raise even a remote inference that the Defendants even knew of Plaintiff's having Multiple Sclerosis," nor did the Amended Complaint plead facts showing that Plaintiff was subject to discrimination
Plaintiff alleges that Defendants retaliated against her for filing a discrimination claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the "EEOC") by: (1) denying her the opportunity to teach seventh-grade honors math for the 2013-2014 school year, (2) issuing her negative performance evaluation in September 2013 for the 2012-2013 academic year, and (3) being designated as the teacher of record for the 2012-2013 school year, despite the fact that she was out on medical leave for approximately two months. (Pl.'s Opp. Br. at 13-15.) To meet the initial burden of establishing a
Here, Plaintiff has failed to allege a plausible causal connection between her protected activity—filing her EEOC complaint—and an adverse employment action. As an initial matter, Defendants' failure to assign Plaintiff to teach the honors math class cannot form the basis of a retaliation claim because Plaintiff was removed from her position as the honors math teacher in February 2013,
Plaintiff brings claims against Iocolano, Laria, Zocchia, and McQuair for aiding and abetting Defendants' alleged discrimination in violation of the NYSHRL, the Equal Protection Clause, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. (SAC ¶ 82.) In contrast to Title VII, individual liability is available under the NYSHRL, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. The NYSHRL prohibits aiding and abetting the "doing of any of the acts forbidden under this article." N.Y. EXEC. LAW § 296(6);
Defendants argue that Plaintiff's aiding and abetting claims against Defendants Laria, Zocchia, and McQuair must be dismissed because Plaintiff did not name them in her notice of claim, as required by Education Law § 3813(1). (Defs.' Br. at 21.) New York Education Law § 3813 states that no action shall proceed against a school district or officer of a school unless "it shall appear by and as an allegation in the complaint or necessary moving papers that a written verified claim upon which such action . . . is founded was presented to the governing body of said district or school within three months after the accrual of such claim." N.Y. EDUC. LAW § 3813(1). Plaintiff does not dispute that she did not name Laria, Zocchia, and McQuair in her notice of claim, however, she argues that Defendants Laria (the Superintendent) and Zocchia (the District's Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources) must remain Defendants in this action because they are not "school officers." (Pl.'s Opp. Br. at 19.) Under the New York Education Law, the term "school officer" is defined as follows:
N.Y. EDUC. LAW § 2(13). Laria, the District Superintendent, is thus explicitly defined as a school officer by the above Education law provision. Moreover, the Court rejects Plaintiff's argument that Laria is exempt from the notice requirement because she retired from her position as the District Superintendent—it is clear that Plaintiff is suing Laria for acts undertaken in her role as the District Superintendent. In addition, even if there is some debate as to whether Zocchia, the District's Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, falls into the definition of a school officer, he must nevertheless be dismissed from this action because the SAC does not allege that he was personally involved in any of the incidents at issue. Therefore Laria, Zocchia, and McQuair are DISMISSED as Defendants in this action.
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a), "leave to amend shall be freely granted when justice so requires." "Although the decision whether to grant leave to amend is within the discretion of the district court, refusal to grant leave must be based on a valid ground.'"
For the foregoing reasons, Defendants' motion to dismiss (Docket Entry 19) is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. Specifically, Plaintiff's ADA claims and retaliation claims are DISMISSED. In addition, Plaintiff's claims against Defendants Laria, Zocchia, and McQuair are also DISMISSED and the Clerk of the Court is directed to TERMINATE those parties as Defendants in this action. Defendants' motion is otherwise DENIED.
SO ORDERED.