Cap v. Lehigh UniversityCap v. Lehigh University
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Presently before the Court is defendant’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s complaint. In its motion the defendant contends that (1) the claim of plaintiff under Title VII,
Title VII
The defendant has moved to dismiss the Title VII claim pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Proce
There are two jurisdictional prerequisites to the maintenance of an action in the district court pursuant to the provisions of Title VII. The first is the timely filing of charges of employment discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),
(e) A charge under this section shall be filed within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred . . . except that in a case of an unlawful employment practice with respect to which the person aggrieved has initially instituted proceedings with a State or local agency with authority to grant or seek relief from such practice or to institute criminal proceedings with respect thereto upon receiving notice thereof, such charge shall be filed by or on behalf of the person aggrieved within three hundred days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred, or within thirty days after receiving notice that the State or local agency has terminated the proceedings under the State or local law, whichever is earlier .
The defendant contends that the plaintiff did not file a charge within one hundred and eighty days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred. In her complaint, plaintiff alleges that on April 16, 1973 the EEOC assumed jurisdiction over her charges of sex discrimination and thereafter deferred the matter to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. She further alleges that after deferral to the State agency, the EEOC again assumed jurisdiction and on May 12, 1976 issued a right to sue letter. The present action was commenced on June 10, 1976.
In connection with this motion we have considered the following facts as alleged by the plaintiff in her complaint, as well as the facts in the deposition of Howard Gurmankin. In May, 1972, plaintiff received a one year terminal contract from Lehigh University which, in effect, constituted a denial of tenure. On March 5, 1973, plaintiff wrote to the EEOC stating that Lehigh University had given her a terminal contract which she believed was discriminatory against women and explaining why she believed this action in denying her tenure constituted sex discrimination. The EEOC respond
The defendant argues that this Court lacks jurisdiction because plaintiff did not file a timely charge with the EEOC. It is the defendant’s contention that the date plaintiff received the terminal contract from defendant, May, 1972, is the date on which the unlawful discrimination occurred and from which the 180-day period begins to run. Since plaintiff’s letter of March 5, 1973 was filed more than 180 days from the time she received the terminal contract in May 1972, defendant contends that her charge was not filed within 180 days. Plaintiff, however, claims that the period begins to run from the time she received the terminal contract and continues until the last day she worked, May of 1973, or the date she received notice that the re-evaluation procedure had been completed, April 16, 1973. In
Egelston v. State University College at Geneseo,
The plaintiff in this case received a contract in May 1972, which contract expired in June of 1973. Plaintiff sought a review of the decision and on April 16,1973 received a letter from the President of Lehigh stating that the matter had been reviewed and the decision affirmed. It is clear that the alleged discrimination continued at the very least from the time she received her terminal contract until she was informed that the matter had been reviewed and the decision affirmed. Mindful of the interpretations which have been given to Title VIPs procedural requirements, e.
g., Love v. Pullman,
Defendant further contends that plaintiff’s letter of March 5, 1973 to the EEOC is not a “charge”.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section, a charge is deemed filed when the Commission receives from the person making a charge a written statement sufficiently precise to identify the parties and to describe generally the action or practices complained of. A charge may be amended to cure technical defects or omissions, including failure to swear to the charge, or to clarify and amplify allegations made therein, and such amendments alleging additional acts which constitute unlawful employment practices directly related to or growing out of the subject matter of the original charge will relate back to the original filing date. 1
Plaintiff’s letter of March 5, 1973 meets these standards. 2 Furthermore, the EEOC’s letter of July 18,1973 states that it assumed jurisdiction over her charge as of June 18, 1973 in response to her letter. We find, therefore, that plaintiff’s letter of March 5,1973 constituted a charge that was timely filed.
§ 1983 Claim
Defendant has moved to dismiss plaintiff’s claim under
While the allegations of “state action” in the complaint are somewhat inconclusive, it is possible that plaintiff may establish facts sufficient to show that defendant acted under color of state law. The Third Circuit has disapproved the dismissal of a
Only by sifting facts and weighing circumstances can the nonobvious involvement of the State in private conduct be attributed its true significance.
See Silverman v. Lehigh, supra; Presseisen v. Swarthmore College,
Claim Under Executive Orders 11246 and 11375
Plaintiff alleges a cause of action pursuant to Executive Order 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375. Defendant contends that these Executive Orders, which require Federal contractors to refrain from discrimination in employment based on sex, do not provide a private right of action. The cases support this view.
Cohen v. Illinois Institute of Technology,
Conspiracy Claim Under § 1985(3)
The defendant has moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s conspiracy claim under
Defendant also alleges that there is no state action. It has been held that there is no requirement under
Defendant also contends that plaintiff’s claim under
Claim Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
Defendant contends that plaintiff’s claims under the Pennsylvania Human Re
Claim Under Equal Pay Act
Plaintiff’s claim under this statute is based on her allegation in the complaint that females receive less pay generally than their male counterparts at Lehigh in violation of the Federal Equal Pay Act,
The Federal Act,
Claim Under Pennsylvania Equal Pay Act
Plaintiff has also alleged a pendent claim based on the provisions of the Pennsylvania Equal Pay Act,
Pendent Tort Claim
Defendant contends that plaintiff’s state tort claim based upon defendant’s actions is barred by Pennsylvania’s two-year Statute of Limitations. Plaintiff, however, points out that she has alleged in her complaint that such tortious activities have continued until this date. Because in a motion to dismiss the allegations in the complaint are taken to be true, we deny defendant’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s tort claim.
Defendant also argues that this Court should not take pendent jurisdiction over plaintiff’s tort claim. Federal courts have power to adjudicate claims based upon
Notes
. Sec. 1601.11 was last amended May 6, 1972.
. She stated in her letter:
Gentlemen:
My employer Lehigh University City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has given me a terminal contract which I believe to be unfair and discriminatory against women.
This university follows in its promotion practices the guidelines of the American Association of University Professors. According to the A.A.U.P. Rules, a member of the faculty having served a total of six years at the rank of Assistant Professor is to be reviewed for promotion and tenure. Furthermore, Lehigh University requires that for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure a faculty member must show achievement in two of three areas; satisfactory teaching, publication, service to the university.
Since I had served as an Assistant Professor for three years prior to coming to Lehigh at institutions not requiring publications, and since a period of 2'A years is unsufficient for acquiring a substantial record in either publication or community service, I was of course deficient in these two areas. However, the factor that really made accomplishment in these two areas impossible was my pregnancy and infant care during the second and third year at Lehigh University. As this institution has no provision for maternity leave, I kept on teaching and fulfilling scrupulously all my duties related to teaching. Yet, Lehigh refuses to recognize that the biological factors of pregnancy and infant care temporarily do curtail the extent of a woman’s professional activities.
I have repeatedly asked the Administration of Lehigh University to give me an extension of the probationary period so that my scholarly work which is now beginning to appear in print might be taken into account. But, the Administration has stubbornly refused to retract its terminal contract to me and give the extension which seems fair in the absence of maternity leave policies.
Although the nature of our work is quite different, my complaint is essentially the same as that of Mrs. Cillella of your suit against General Motors. As she put it to the reporter of the New York Times (Sunday, March 4, 1973, Section 3, P. 14);
“If I’d been given a chance — you know there’s a probationary period — well they could have fired me if I couldn’t do the work . . . This was the point that really burned me up. They didn’t give a chance. It’s unfair not to give women a chance.”
I would appreciate any advice you could give me about the legal strength of my complaint and guidance as to what course of action I could pursue.
Thank you. Sincerely yours, Biruta Cap.
.
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.
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(3) If two or more persons in any State or Territory conspire or go in disguise on the highway or on the premises of another, for the purpose of depriving, either directly or indirectly, any person or class of persons of the equal protection of the laws, or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws; or for the purpose of preventing or hindering the constituted authorities of any State or Territory from giving or securing to all persons within such State or Territory the equal protection of the laws; or if two or more persons conspire to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy in a legal manner, toward or in favor of the election of any lawfully qualified person as an elector for President or Vice President, or as a Member of Congress of the United States; or to injure any citizen in person or property on account of such support or advocacy; in any case of conspiracy set forth in this section, if one or more persons engaged therein do, or cause to be done, any act in furtherance of the object of such conspiracy, whereby another is injured in his person or property, or deprived of having and exercising any right or privilege of a citizen of the United States, the party so injured or deprived may have an action for the recovery of damages, occasioned by such injury or deprivation, against any one or more of the conspirators.
. Cases which hold that the language of
On the other hand, there is considerable authority for. the contrary proposition:
Jackson v. University of Pittsburgh,
. Cases applying the six year statute include:
Dupree v. Hertz Corporation,
Cases applying the two year statute include:
Meyers v. Pennypack Woods Home Ownership Association,
C.A. No. 75-13 (E.D.Pa.1976);
Davis
v.
United States Steel Supply,
. This statute provides that an employer shall not discriminate between employees on the basis of sex by paying lower wages to employees of one sex.
. Although we do not have to reach defendant's contention that plaintiffs claim is barred' by the Statute of Limitations, we note that