Case Information
*1 CECCHI, District Judge.
Before the Court is the motion of Defendant Provident Bank (“Defendant”) to dismiss the Complaint of Plaintiff Gladys T. Greengrass (“Plaintiff’) pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). ECF No. 9. Plaintiff, proceeding pro se and informa pauperis, has not filed any response to the motion, and opposition was due by December 20, 2016. The Court decides this matter without oral argument pursuant to Rule 78 of the federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It appearing: Defendant employed Plaintiff as a telephone agent in Iselin, New Jersey. ECF No.
1. 1 at 12. Plaintiff was hired on March 19, 2015 and terminated on April 24, 2015. ‘a.
2. On July 8, 2016, Plaintiff filed the complaint alleging age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”). ECF No. 1. On December 6, 2016, Defendant fled the instant motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). ECF No. 9. A motion to dismiss under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) may be granted only if,
3. accepting all well-pleaded allegations in the complaint as true and viewing them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff a court concludes that plaintiff failed to set *2 f o r t h s u ff i c i e n t f ac t s t o s t a t e a c l a i m f o r r e li e f t h a t i s p l a u s i b l e on it s f ace . B e ll A tl a n ti c C o r p . v . T w o m b l y , 550 U . S . 544 ( 2007 ) ; F l e i s h e r v . S t a nd a r d I n s . C o ., 679 F . 3d 116 , 120 ( 3d C i r . 2012 ) . “ A c l a i m h a s f ac i a l p l a u s i b ilit y w h e n t h e p l a i n ti ff p l ea d s f ac t u a l c on t e n t t h a t a ll o w s t h e c ou r t t o d r a w t h e r ea s on a b l e i n f e r e n ce t h a t t h e d e f e nd a n t i s li a b l e f o r t h e m i s c ondu c t a ll e g e d . ” A s h c r o f t v. I qb a l , 556 U . S . 662 , 67$ ( 2009 ) . H o w e v e r , l e g a l c on c l u s i on s a r e no t e n titl e d t o t h e s a m e a ss u m p ti on o f t r u t h , a nd “ [ a ] p l ea d i ng t h a t o ff e r s l a b e l s a nd c on c l u s i on s o r a f o r m u l a i c r ec it a ti on o f t h e e l e m e n t s o f a ca u s e o f ac ti on w ill no t do . ” I d . T o d e t e r m i n e i f a c o m p l a i n t m ee t s t h e p l ea d i ng s t a nd a r d , t h e C ou r t m u s t s t r i p a w a y c on c l u s o r y s t a t e m e n t s a nd “ l ook f o r w e ll - p l e d f ac t u a l a ll e g a ti on s , a ss u m e t h e i r v e r ac it y , a nd t h e n d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h e y p l a u s i b l y g i v e r i s e t o a n e n titl e m e n t o f r e li e f . ” B i s t r i a n v . L e v i , 696 F . 3d 352 , 365 ( 3d C i r . 2012 ) ( i n t e r n a l quo t a ti on m a r k s o m itt e d ) . T h e C o m p l a i n t m u s t c on t a i n “e nough f ac t u a l m a tt e r ( t a k e n a s t r u e ) t o s ugg e s t ’ t h e r e qu i r e d e l e m e n t . ” P h illt p s v . C l y . o f A ll e gh e ny , 515 F . 3d 224 , 234 ( 3d C i r . 200$ ) ( quo ti ng T w o m b l y , 550 U . S . a t 550 U . S . a t 556 ) .
4 . B eca u s e P l a i n ti ff p r o cee d s p r o s e , t h e C ou r t m u s t c on s t r u e h e r p l ea d i ng s li b e r a ll y a nd a pp l y t h e a pp li ca b l e l a w , i rr e s p ec ti v e o f w h e t h e r s h e h a s m e n ti on e d it by n a m e . M a l a v . C r o w n B a y M a r i n a , I n c ., 704 F . 3d 239 , 244 ( 3d C i r . 2013 ) . T h e C ou r t i s r e qu i r e d t o acce p t a p r o s e p l a i n ti ff s w e ll - p l ea d e d f ac t u a l a ll e g a ti on s a s t r u e w h il e d r a w i ng r ea s on a b l e i n f e r e n ce s i n h i s o r h e r f a vo r . C a pog r o ss o v. S up . C t . o f N . i , 588 F . 3d 1 $0 , 184 ( 3d C i r . 2009 ) . H o w e v e r , a p r o s e c o m p l a i n t m u s t s till c on t a i n s u ff i c i e n t f ac t u a l m a tt e r t o s t a t e a c l a i m t o r e li e f t h a t i s p l a u s i b l e on it s f ace . S ee F r a nk li n v . G M A C M o r t g ., 523 F e d . A pp ’ x 172 , 173 ( 3d C i r . 2013 ) . If a c o m p l a i n t *3 i s vu l n e r a b l e t o d i s m i ss a l , “a d i s t r i c t c ou r t m u s t p e r m it a c u r a ti v e a m e nd m e n t , un l e ss a n a m e nd m e n t w ou l d b e i n e qu it a b l e o r f u til e . ” P h illi p s v . C t y . o f A ll e gh e ny , 515 F . 3d a t 236 ( 3d C i r . 2008 ) . If t h e p l ea d i ng “ i s s o v a gu e o r a m b i guou s t h a t t h e p a r t y ca nno t r ea s on a b l y p r e p a r e a r e s pon s e , ” t h e C ou r t m a y d i r ec t P l a i n ti ff t o p r ov i d e a m o r e d e f i n it e s t a t e m e n t . F e d . R . C i v . P . 12 ( e ) .
5 . A lt hough P l a i n ti ff h a s f a il e d t o oppo s e D e f e nd a n t ’ s m o ti on t o d i s m i ss , t h e C ou r t w ill n e v e r t h e l e ss e x a m i n e t h e m e r it s o f h e r c l a i m s b e f o r e d i s m i ss i ng t h e C o m p l a i n t . S ee S t ac khou s e v . M az u r k i e w i cz , 951 F . 2d 29 , 30 ( 3d C i r . 1991 ) ; E s t a t e o f C a s e ll a v . H a r t f o r d L f e I n s . C o ., N o . 09 - 2306 - M L C , 2009 W L 2488054 , a t *2 ( D . N . J . A ug . 11 , 2009 ) , a s a m e nd e d ( S e p t . 11 , 2009 ) . T h e AD E A p r oh i b it s a n e m p l oy e r fr o m “ d i s c h a r g [ i ng ] a ny i nd i v i du a l o r o t h e r w i s e
6 . d i s c r i m i n a t { i ng ] a g a i n s t a ny i nd i v i du a l w it h r e s p ec t t o h i s c o m p e n s a ti on , t e r m s , c ond iti on s , o r p r i v il e g e s o f e m p l oy m e n t , b eca u s e o f s u c h i nd i v i du a l ’ s a g e { . ] ” 29 U . S . C . § 623 ( a )( 1 ) . “ T o p r e v a il on a n AD E A t e r m i n a ti on c l a i m , a p l a i n ti ff m u s t s ho w t h a t h i s o r h e r a g e ‘ ac t u a ll y m o ti v a t e d ’ a nd ‘ h a d a d e t e r m i n a ti v e i n f l u e n ce on ’ t h e e m p l oy e r’ s d ec i s i on t o f i r e h i m o r h e r . ” F a k e t e v . A e t n a , I n c ., 30$ F . 3d 335 , 337 ( 3d C i r . 2002 ) . A n AD E A p l a i n ti ff ca n m ee t t h i s bu r d e n by p r e s e n ti ng d i r ec t o r i nd i r ec t e v i d e n ce o f d i s c r i m i n a ti on . B eca u s e P l a i n ti ff h a s no t p r ov i d e d d i r ec t e v i d e n ce o f d i s c r i m i n a ti on , t h e S up r e m e C ou r t ’ s M c D onn e ll D oug l a s bu r d e n s h i f li ng a n a l y s i s gov e r n s h e r c l a i m . ’ B u r t on v . T e l e f l e x , I n c ., 707 F . 3d 417 , 425 — [1] “ D i r ec t e v i d e n c e m e a n s e v i d e n c e s u f f i c i e n t t o a l l o w t h e j u r y t o f i n d t h a t t h e d ec i s i o n m a k e r s p l ace d s ub s t a n ti a l n e g a ti v e r e li a n ce on t h e p l a i n ti ff s a g e i n r eac h i ng t h e i r d ec i s i on t o f i r e h i m . ” I d . a t 338 ( i n t e r n a l quo t a ti on m a r k s a nd c it a ti on s o m itt e d ) . P l a i n ti ff s s t a nd -
*4 26 ( 3d C i r . 2013 ) ( c iti ng M c D onn e ll D oug l a s C o r p . v . G r ee n , 411 U . S . 792 , $02 — 03 ( 1973 )) . U nd e r t h i s , t h e p l a i n ti ff m u s t f i r s t e s t a b li s h , “ by a p r e pond e r a n ce o f t h e e v i d e n ce , ” a p r i m a f ac i e e m p l oy m e n t d i s c r i m i n a ti on ca s e . S a r u ll o v . U S . P o s t a l S e r v ., 352 F . 3d 789 , 797 ( 3d C i r . 2003 ) . A p r i m a f a d e AD E A ca s e r e qu i r e s a p l a i n ti ff t o p l ea d f ou r e l e m e n t s : ( 1 ) “ s h e i s
7 . f o r t y y ea r s o f a g e o r o l d e r ” ; ( 2 ) “ t h e d e f e nd a n t t ook a n a dv e r s e e m p l oy m e n t ac ti on a g a i n s t h e r ” ; ( 3 ) “ s h e w a s qu a li f i e d f o r t h e po s iti on i n qu e s ti on ” ; a nd ( 4 ) “ s h e w a s u lti m a t e l y r e p l ace d by a no t h e r e m p l oy ee w ho w a s s u ff i c i e n tl y young e r t o s uppo r t a n i n f e r e n ce o f d i s c r i m i n a t o r y a n i m u s . ” B u r t on v . T e l e f l e x , 707 F . 3d a t 426 ; s ee a l s o K a ss e m v . W a i g r ee n s C o r p ., N o . 12 - 06132 S RC , 2014 W L 3396489 , a t *3 ( D . N . J . J u l y 10 , 2014 ) , a ff’ d , 60$ F . A pp ’ x 90 ( 3d C i r . 2015 ) .
8 . T h e C ou r t f i nd s P l a i n ti ff h a s f a il e d t o p l ea d t h e t h i r d a nd f ou r t h r e qu i r e d e l e m e n t s o f t h e p r i m a J ac i e ca s e . A s t o t h e t h i r d e l e m e n t , it i s un c l ea r on t h e f ac t o f t h e c o m p l a i n t , w h a t t h e r e qu i r e m e n t s w e r e f o r h e r po s iti on a nd w h e t h e r P l a i n ti ff w a s qu a li f i e d . A s t o t h e f ou r t h e l e m e n t , P l a i n ti ff a ll e g e s t h a t s h e w a s b e i ng t r a i n e d a l ong s i d e t w o young e r c o - w o r k e r s . I d . a t 3 . P l a i n ti ff a ll e g e s t h a t t h e young e r c o w o r k e r s w e r e a ll o w e d t o f i n i s h t r a i n i ng w h e r ea s s h e w a s t e r m i n a t e d . I d . P l a i n ti ff do e s no t a ss e r t t h a t t h e s e t w o c o - w o r k e r s w e r e i n t r a i n i ng t o r e p l ace h e r , o r t h a t t h e y d i d r e p l ace h e r . I t a pp ea r s t h e y w e r e h i r e d t o p e rf o r m t h e s a m e j ob , bu t
a l on e a ss e r ti on t h a t h e r s up e r v i s o r “ m a d e j ok e s ” a bou t P l a i n ti ff “ fr o w n i ng ” t h a t m a d e P l a i n ti ff “ f ee l v e r y e m b a rr a ss e d ” a nd f ee l t h a t s h e w a s b e i ng “ p e r ce i v e d a s t oo o l d t o b e i n t r a i n i n g ” i s i n s u ff i c i e n t t o c o n s t i t u t e d i r e c t e v i d e n c e o f a g e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n . ( E C F N o . 1 a t 17 . ) T h e r e f o r e , P l a i n ti ff h a s no t p r o ff e r e d d i r ec t e v i d e n ce o f a g e d i s c r i m i n a ti on i n h e r e m p l oy m e n t .
*5 P l a i n ti ff f a il s t o p l ea d t h a t h e r po s iti on w a s r e p l ace d a t a ll . T h e r e f o r e , P l a i n ti ff h a s f a il e d t o a ll e g e t h e r e qu i r e d e l e m e n t t h a t a young e r e m p l oy ee r e p l ace d h e r .
9 . A cc o r d i ng l y , P l a i n ti ff s c o m p l a i n t i s b e d i s m i ss e d f o r f a il u r e t o s t a t e a c l a i m . H o w e v e r , i n li gh t o f P l a i n ti ff s p r o s e s t a t u s , t h e C ou r t i s h e s it a n t t o d i s m i ss P l a i n ti ff s C o m p l a i n t ou t r i gh t a nd w ill g r a n t P l a i n ti ff l ea v e t o a m e nd .
F o r t h e f o r e go i ng r ea s on s , I T I S on t h i s 25 t h d a y o f A ugu s t , 2017 : O R D E R E D t h a t D e f e nd a n t ’ s m o ti on t o d i s m i ss pu r s u a n t t o R u l e 12 ( b )( 6 ) , E C F N o . 9 , i s
G R AN TE D w it hou t p r e j ud i ce ; a nd it i s f u r t h e r O R D E R E D t h a t , t o t h e e x t e n t t h e d e f i c i e n c i e s i n P l a i n ti ff s c l a i m s ca n b e c u r e d by w a y o f a m e nd m e n t , P l a i n ti ff i s g r a n t e d t h i r t y ( 30 ) d a y s t o r e i n s t a t e t h i s m a tt e r upon t h e f ili ng o f a n A m e nd e d C o m p l a i n t; a nd it i s f u r t h e r
O R D E R E D t h a t t h e C l e r k o f t h e C ou r t s h a ll c l o s e t h i s m a tt e r . s / C l a i r e C . C ecc h i C L A I R E C . C E CC H I , U . S . D . J .