Abadir v. Ctr. One, LLC

ELLA ABADIR, Plaintiff, v. CENTER ONE, LLC, Defendant.

14CV855S

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

August 4, 2020

DECISION AND ORDER

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 2

II. BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................... 4

A. An Introduction to Defendant's Staff ................................................................................................ 4

B. Pleadings ........................................................................................................................................... 6

C. Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 30) ......................................................... 9

1. Factual Assertions ......................................................................................................................... 9

2. Defendant's Arguments for Summary Judgment ....................................................................... 16

3. Plaintiff's Response ..................................................................................................................... 18

D. Defendant's Motion for Sanctions (Docket No. 30) ........................................................................ 20

1. Defendant's Contentions ............................................................................................................ 20

2. Plaintiff's Response ..................................................................................................................... 21

E. Plaintiff's Motion for Adverse Inference (Docket No. 52) .............................................................. 22

F. Defendant's Motion to Strike Yolanda Jones Affidavit (Docket No. 56) ......................................... 23

III. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................... 25

A. Applicable Standards ...................................................................................................................... 25

1. Summary Judgment .................................................................................................................... 25

2. Age and Disability Discrimination ............................................................................................... 28

3. Hostile Work Environment .......................................................................................................... 29

4. Retaliation ................................................................................................................................... 30

5. Motions for Adverse Inference, Striking the Affidavit, and Discovery Sanctions ....................... 31

B. Motions Preliminary to Summary Judgment Motion; Plaintiff's Motion for Adverse Inference (Docket No. 52) and Defendant's Motion to Strike (Docket No. 56) ...................................................... 34

1. Plaintiff's Motion for Adverse Inference (No. 52) ....................................................................... 34

2. Defendant's Motion to Strike Yolanda Jones' Affidavit (No. 56) ................................................ 36

C. Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 30) ....................................................... 38

1. Timeliness of Age Discrimination Claim ...................................................................................... 38

2. Other Elements of Age Discrimination Claim .............................................................................. 41

3. Allegations of Disability Claim ..................................................................................................... 47

4. Allegations of Hostile Work Environment ................................................................................... 47

5. Allegations of Retaliation ............................................................................................................ 48

6. Defendant's Motion for Sanction for Alteration of Evidence (Docket No. 30) ........................... 51

D. What Remains—Supplemental Jurisdiction .................................................................................... 54

IV. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 54

V. ORDERS ............................................................................................................................................... 55

I. INTRODUCTION

Before this Court are a series of motions starting with Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment and for Sanctions (Docket No. 30), arguing that Plaintiff's age discrimination claim is time barred; Plaintiff failed to allege her disability claim; and there was no actionable hostile work environment or retaliation claims (id.). Defendant also seeks sanctions for alleged witness tampering (Docket No. 32, Def. Memo. at 32-35). In support of its motions, Defendant submitted its Statement of Facts (Docket No. 31); Memorandum of Law (Docket Nos. 32, 33 (with exhibits)); defense counsel's Affirmation with exhibits (Docket No. 38); and the affidavits of Defendant's employees or employees of affiliate corporation, Capital Management Services (Docket Nos. 34-36¹).

Responses to Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment were due by May 12, 2017, and replies by May 26, 2017 (Docket No. 37). Plaintiff filed her timely response (Docket Nos. 41-51, 53²), including Yolanda Jones' affidavit in opposition to the summary judgment motion (Docket No. 40). Defendant replied (Docket Nos. 54, 55 (attorney's affirmation with exhibit, portion of deposition transcript).

During the briefing of that motion, Plaintiff moved for an adverse inference because Defendant did not preserve audio and video recordings and documents of subordinates' alleged complaints against Plaintiff (Docket No. 52). Defendant later moved to strike Yolanda Jones' affidavit (see Docket No. 40) because she was not disclosed as a witness for Plaintiff (Docket No. 56). This Court, however, did not schedule briefing for Plaintiff's motion for an adverse inference (Docket No. 52) or Defendant's motion to strike (Docket No. 56; see Docket Nos. 57, 58 (attorney's affirmation with exhibit, copy of Jones's affidavit)). Nevertheless, the parties filed responding (Docket Nos. 59, 60 (opposing motion for adverse inference), 62 (opposing striking)) and replying papers (Docket Nos. 61 (reply for motion for adverse inference), 63, 64, 66 (reply for motion to strike)). Thus, all motions were fully briefed, and the matter submitted.

After addressing first the subsidiary motions to the Motion for Summary Judgment and for the reasons stated herein, Plaintiff's Motion (Docket No. 52) for an adverse inference is denied or deemed moot and Defendant's Motion (Docket No. 56) to strikeMs. Jones' affidavit (Docket No. 40) is also denied. Upon these decisions and the moving papers for and against Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 30), and given Plaintiff's withdrawal of her Third Cause of Action for disability discrimination (Docket No. 48, Pl. Memo. at 4), Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 30) for that claim is granted. As for Plaintiff's age discrimination claim, Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (id.) is granted; on Plaintiff's retaliation claim, Defendant's Motion (id.) is also granted; and as for her hostile work environment claim, Defendant's Motion (id.) is granted. Finally, Defendant's Motion for Sanctions (id.) is denied.

II. BACKGROUND

A. An Introduction to Defendant's Staff

To understand the allegations raised in the three pending motions, introductions are in order. Plaintiff's brother, Dan Abadir, was a co-owner of Defendant when Plaintiff was hired (Docket No. 31, Def. Rule 56.1 Statement of Undisputed Material Facts ¶ 2 ("Def. Rule 56.1 Statement")). Dan Abadir requested Plaintiff come to Defendant to help "grow" the company (Docket No. 43, Pl. Aff. ¶¶ 2, 6; Docket No. 44, Pl. Response ¶ 9). Plaintiff started as a manager assigned to Defendant's First Niagara Bank account and later, as detailed below, a business analyst (Docket No. 31, Def. Rule 56.1 Statement ¶¶ 5, 40). She worked as a department manager at Defendant from February 2010 (Docket No. 1, Compl. ¶ 8). Plaintiff later stated that she was 48½ years old when hired (Docket No. 43, Pl. Aff. ¶ 12; see id. ¶ 154 (Plaintiff turned 50 in July 2011)). Plaintiff thus was one of the older employees with Defendant (see id. ¶ 13).

Holly Donohue was the director of operations and later vice president of operations at Defendant during Plaintiff's tenure, and she was Plaintiff's immediate supervisor(Docket No. 35, Holly Donohue Aff. ¶¶ 1, 3, 4; Docket No. 43, Pl. Aff. ¶¶ 17, 20; Docket No. 31, Def. Rule 56.1 Statement ¶ 6). Patti Sue O'Malley was vice president of client and employee operations (until March 2012, then worked at affiliated Capital Management Services, LP in a similar capacity) where she oversaw Defendant's human resources department and call monitoring areas (Docket No. 36, Patti Sue O'Malley Aff. ¶¶ 1, 4). Betty Lane was the director of human resources at Defendant (Docket No. 43, Pl. Aff. ¶ 133). Julie Fulcinti was executive vice president and later chief administrative officer of Capital Management Services, with duties that included overseeing Defendant's human resources department (Docket No. 34, Julie Fulcinti Aff. ¶¶ 1, 3). Jason Minchen was a department manager with Defendant, splitting management of staff on the First Niagara Bank account with Plaintiff when she started (Docket No. 42, Jason Minchen Aff. ¶¶ 1, 5-6). Shania Hibbard was a customer service representative at Defendant from August 2008 to December 2012 and was supervised by Pl...