Howell v. North Carolina Central University et al

MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM AND FOR LACK OF SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION

M.D.N.C.October 13, 2016

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA Civil Action No. 1:16-cv-00576 MATTHEW HOWELL, Plaintiff, v. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY and DEBRA SAUNDERS-WHITE, GREG MARROW, LEON LEWIS, CAMERON SEAY, BIJOY SAHOO, SYBIL HENDERSON, MARK STILEMEN, JOHN SMITH, SYLVIA ANDERSON, EVA KRAUS, LYNK BUTLER, DAPHINE RICHARDSON in their individual capacities. Defendants. DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS (Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) & (6)) NOW COMES Defendants Debra Saunders-White, Greg Marrow, Leon Lewis, Cameron Seay, Bijoy Sahoo, Sybil Henderson, Mark Stilemen, John Smith, Sylvia Anderson, Eva Kraus, Linc Butler1, and Daphine Richards in their individual capacities (the “Individual Defendants”) and North Carolina Central University (“NCCU” or the “University”) (together the “State Defendants”), pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and (6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Local Rule 7.3, and moves for dismissal of Plaintiff Matthew Howell’s claims in this case as follows: 1 Upon information and belief, the proper spelling of Mr. Butler’s first name is “Linc.” Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17 Filed 10/13/16 Page 1 of 5 1. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Whistleblower Retaliation, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (Complaint, First Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of statute of limitations, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 2. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Race Discrimination, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (Complaint, Second Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of statute of limitations, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. 3. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Retaliation, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e (Complaint, Third Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of statute of limitations, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 4. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621-34 (Complaint, Fourth Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of statute of limitations, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 5. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: Retaliation, 29 U.S.C. §§ 621-34 (Complaint, Fifth Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of statute of limitations, lack of subject matter jurisdiction, and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 6. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of the Gender Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. §§621-34 (Complaint, Sixth Cause of Action) should be dismissed for Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17 Filed 10/13/16 Page 2 of 5 failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b) (6). 7. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 (Complaint, Seventh Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of sovereign immunity and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 8. Plaintiff’s claim for wrongful discharge in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-422.2 (Complaint, Eighth Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of sovereign immunity and for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). 9. Plaintiff’s claim for violation of the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act, Article 2A, Chapter 95 of the North Carolina General Statutes (Complaint, Ninth Cause of Action) should be dismissed on the basis of sovereign immunity and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1), (6). The grounds for this motion are more fully explained in Defendants’ Memorandum in Support of Motion to Dismiss. WHEREFORE, the State Defendants respectfully request that the Court dismiss all of the claims asserted by plaintiff against them in this case. Respectfully submitted, this the 13th day of October, 2016. ROY COOPER Attorney General /s/ Matthew Tulchin Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17 Filed 10/13/16 Page 3 of 5 Matthew Tulchin Assistant Attorney General N.C. Bar No. 43921 North Carolina Department of Justice Post Office Box 629 Raleigh, NC 27602 Telephone: 919.716.6920 Facsimile: 919.716.6764 mtulchin@ncdoj.gov Counsel for Defendants Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17 Filed 10/13/16 Page 4 of 5 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that the foregoing DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS was electronically filed on 13 October 2016 with the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification of such filing to plaintiff’s counsel. This the 13th day of October, 2016. ROY COOPER Attorney General /s/ Matthew Tulchin Matthew Tulchin Assistant Attorney General Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17 Filed 10/13/16 Page 5 of 5 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 1 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 2 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 3 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 4 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 5 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 6 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 7 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 8 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 9 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 10 of 11 Case 1:16-cv-00576-NCT-LPA Document 17-1 Filed 10/13/16 Page 11 of 11