Cotterell v. Gilmore

64 F.Supp.3d 406

Paul COTTERELL, Plaintiff

v.James GILMORE, William Hastback, Susan Ritchie, and John and Jane Doe (said names being fictitious, the persons intended being those of aided and abetted the unlawful conduct of the named defendants), Defendants.

No. 12–cv–3808 ADSGRB.

United States District Court, E.D. New York.

Signed Dec. 8, 2014.

Maduegbuna, Cooper LLP, by: Samuel O. Maduegbuna, Esq., David A. Beach, Esq., William W. Cowles, II, Esq., Of Counsel, New York, NY, for the Plaintiff.

New York State Attorney General's Office, Eva L. Dietz, Ralph Pernick, Assistant Attorneys' General, New York, NY, for the Defendants.

No Appearances for John and Jane Doe (said names being fictitious, the persons intended being those who aided and abetted the alleged unlawful conduct of the name defendants).

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

SPATT, District Judge.

On August 1, 2012, the Plaintiff Paul Cotterell (the “Plaintiff”), then an employee of the non-party New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”), commenced this action against the Defendants James Gilmore, William Hastback, and Susan Ritchie (the “Defendants”) and certain John and Jane Does. The Defendants were at all relevant times employees of DEC. The complaint alleges employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, as amended by the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the New York State Human Rights Law as contained in New York State Executive Law § 296 et seq. (the “NYSHRL”). The Plaintiff also contends that the Defendants caused or perpetuated a hostile work environment against him on the basis of race, color, and national origin and unlawfully retaliated against him for complaining about the alleged unlawful conduct. Of note, however, the Plaintiff does not assert a “failure to promote claim” or a “constructive discharge” claim, or a claim against DEC under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e to 2000e–17.

Following discovery, on August 25, 2014, the Defendants moved, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure (“Fed. R. Civ.P.”) 56, for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

For the reasons set forth, the motion is granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND

Unless stated otherwise, the following facts are drawn from the parties' Rule 56.1 statements and attached exhibits and are construed in a light most favorable to the non-moving party, the Plaintiff. Triable issues of fact are noted.

A. The Parties

The Plaintiff's color is black, his race is black, and his national origin is Jamaican. He has been employed by New York State for more than twenty years. In particular, he was employed by DEC between May 12, 2011 through September 12, 2012.

The Defendants, each white, were employed by DEC during the entire period that the Plaintiff was similarly employed. Each defendant was stationed in DEC's East Setauket office. In particular, during this time, Gilmore was employed by DEC as the Chief of the Bureau of Marine Resources; Hastback was employed by DEC as Acting Shellfisheries Section Head and reported directly to Gilmore; and Ritchie was employed by DEC as Food Inspector 2 in the Shellfish Inspection Unit and reported directly to Hastback. Ritchie was the Plaintiff's immediate supervisor from the beginning of his DEC employment until July 31, 2012, when he was “temporarily reassigned” to report to Lisa Tettelbach.

In the Shellfish Inspection Unit during the time that the Plaintiff was employed by DEC, there were only two other Food Inspector 1s, Peter Usbeck and William Athawes, both white. Athawes began as a Food Inspector 1 in 1998 and Usbeck began in 2000. None of the Defendants interviewed or hired them.

B. The Plaintiff's Work History

The Plaintiff was previously employed by the New York State Office of General Services (“OGS”) from 2004 to 2010 as a Food Inspector 1.

DEC hired the Plaintiff as a Food Inspector 1 in the Shellfish Inspection Unit of the Shellfisheries section of DEC's Bureau of Marine Resources to fill a vacancy created when another Food Inspector passed away in January 2011.

The Shellfish Inspection Unit's core functions consist of protecting public health through sanitary and records inspections of shellfish shippers and processors, and also by conforming with the minimum inspection frequencies specified by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program so that approximately 250 shellfish shippers and processors can be allowed to sell their shellfish products in interstate commerce.

DEC hired the Plaintiff from a Civil Service preferred list, on which he was the only person listed. Accordingly, apparently DEC had no discretion as to whether or not to hire the Plaintiff for the position of Food Inspector 1.

Throughout his DEC employment, the Plaintiff was stationed at DEC's office in East Setauket, Suffolk County, approximately 116 miles from the Plaintiff's residence in Dutchess County. The Plaintiff's annual salary from DEC was at the high range for the position of Food Inspector 1, ranging from $51,268 to $65,190.

In or about April 2012, eleven months after the Plaintiff began working for DEC, the Plaintiff took the first steps to search for other employment, even if for less compensation. In the course of this search, the Plaintiff found a civil service posting dated July 3, 2012 for a Food Inspector I (Grade 18) position with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (“A & M”).

The civil service posting required persons interested in bidding for the position to send a memorandum within ten days after the posting date. The Plaintiff responded to the posting before he received a DEC July 27, 2012 notice of intent to temporarily reassign and before he received a DEC August 3, 2012 notice of discipline, both later described in detail. The Plaintiff applied for the A & M position. He was interviewed, and was informed by a letter dated August 31, 2012 that he received the position effective September 13, 2012. Thus, the Plaintiff had no “break in service” between his September 12, 2012 resignation from DEC and the commencement of his A & M employment on September 13, 2013.

The Plaintiff's starting annual salary at A & M was approximately $65,000, and the Plaintiff also received a $3,096 geographic location pay from both DEC pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, and from A & M. In addition to receiving the same annual salary from both DEC and A & M, the Plaintiff also received the same amount of geographic location pay. The Plaintiff's commute from his Dutchess County residence to his A & M position in Kings County was shorter than his commute from his residence to DEC in East Setauket. The Plaintiff's hiring by A & M, effective September 13, 2012, was subject to a probationary period of no more than 52 weeks and the Plaintiff has continued working to the present for A & M as a Food Inspector 1.

C. DEC's Non–Discrimination Policy

DEC maintains a policy of nondiscrimination in the workplace that seeks “to ensure that Department employees have a workplace that is free from illegal discrimination” and that “prohibits retaliation against individuals who inquire about his or her rights or who makes a complaint of illegal discrimination.” (Combined Rule 56.1 Statement, at ¶ 35.) This nondiscrimination policy sets forth internal complaint procedure, advising employees that discrimination complaints could also be filed with the EEOC or New York State Division of Human Rights, although “employees are encouraged to raise such concerns with the appropriate supervisor or the OAA [Office of Affirmative Action].” (Id. at ¶ 36.)

D. The Alleged Discriminatory Conduct

1. The Failure to Notify the Plaintiff of his Hiring for more than Two Weeks After his Interview

On April 25, 2011, the Plaintiff was interviewed by Hastback and Ritchie. The Plaintiff had stated in his DEC employment application that he was not available to begin work until May 3, 2011. The Plaintiff's DEC employment began on May 12, 2011. The Plaintiff maintains that his DEC employment should have begun on May 3, 2011.

The Plaintiff alleges that Hastback and Ritchie informed him that he would be notified of his hiring within a day of his interview. The Plaintiff alleges that by not informing him of his hiring immediately, he was treated less favorably than applicants Athawes and Usbeck, both white, who were officially informed of their hiring sooner relative to their start date.

2. The Failure to Receive a Welcome Letter

The Plaintiff also alleges that, in a display of discriminatory animus, and contrary to the custom and practice as to incoming hires at DEC, the Plaintiff did not a receive a welcome letter from anybody at DEC until several months after his employment commenced.

However, the summary judgment record indicates that, on May 13, 2011, the day after the Plaintiff's DEC employment commenced, Ritchie sent an email to all DEC employees at “Marine–Long Island,” asking them to stop in his office to welcome the Plaintiff. On the other hand, Gilmore apparently did not welcome the Plaintiff as he had done with previous subordinates.

Sometime thereafter, DEC sent him a letter confirming his appointment with DEC and welcoming him to the agency. The Plaintiff maintains that, unlike with respect to Athawes and Usbeck, he did not receive the letter until a month subsequent to its written date.

3. The Failure to Evaluate the Plaintiff's Inspections

The Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (“ISSC”) is a federal-state-industry cooperative body that is composed of state shellfish regulatory officials, industry officials, the FDA, and other federal agencies. The ISSC provides the forum for state regulatory officials to establish uniform national guidelines and to exchange information regarding sources of safe shellfish and to ensure that shellfish will be safe and sanitary. An inspector's standardization is for a five-year period.

According to the complaint, Ritchie prevented the...