Garland's Digest

on employment discrimination law

Chapter 9 - Employer's Defenses

Overview

9.100 Failure to timely file lawsuit

9.200 Other procedural defenses

9.300 Absolute immunity
9.400 Qualified immunity
9.500 Res Judicata / Collateral Estoppel
9.600 Judicial Estoppel
9.700 General defenses
9.800 Other defenses

 

Detail

9.100 Failure to timely file lawsuit

           9.110 In general

                      9.111 Parties can agree to an abbreviated statute of limitations

                      9.112 Statute of limitations is an affirmative defense

           9.120 Length of filing period

                      9.121 ADEA

                                 9.121.10 Statute of limitations (for non-federal
                                                  employees)

                                 9.121.20 Statute of limitations where federal employee
                                                  pursues EEOC remedies before filing ADEA
                                                  action

                                 9.121.30 Statute of limitations where federal employee
                                                  brings direct ADEA action

                      9.122 ADA

                      9.123 Equal Pay Act

                                 9.123.10 Willful violation

                      9.124 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                                 9.124.10 Claims cognizable before the Civil Rights Act of
                                                  1991

                                                  9.124.11 Certain failure-to-promote claims may
                                                                   have been cognizable before the Civil
                                                                   Rights Act of 1991

                                9.124.20 Claims only cognizable after the Civil Rights Act
                                                 of 1991

                      9.125 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                      9.126 FMLA

                      9.127 Rehabilitation Act

                      9.128 Title VII

                                 9.128.10 Title VII filing period is not jurisdictional

                      9.129 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983 - length of filing period by
                                 State

           9.130 When filing period begins to run

                      9.131 Issuance of right-to-sue letter

                                 9.131.10 How is 90-day period calculated?

                                                  9.131.11 Plaintiff has burden of proving suit
                                                                   filed within 90 days

                                                  9.131.12 What if plaintiff picks up right-to-sue
                                                                   sent via certified mail within time
                                                                   allotted by Postal Service?

                                                  9.131.13 What if plaintiff does not claim right-
                                                                   to-sue letter sent via certified mail?

                                                  9.131.14 Presumption that right-to-sue letter
                                                                   was mailed

                                                  9.131.15 Presumption as to when right-to-sue
                                                                   letter was received

                                 9.131.20 When does time begin to run if both the
                                                  attorney and the client receive the right-to-sue
                                                  letter?

                                 9.131.30 EEOC notice can be oral

                                 9.131.40 EEOC's Notice of Reconsideration can void right
                                                  to sue letter

                                                  9.131.41 Second right-to-sue letter does not
                                                                   toll limitations period unless EEOC has
                                                                   engaged in reconsideration

                                 9.131.50 Whether request for reconsideration of EEOC
                                                  decision tolls 90 day filing period?

                                                  9.131.51 Federal employee's request for
                                                                   reconsideration of EEOC decision tolls
                                                                   90 day filing period

                                                  9.131.52 Non-federal employee's request to
                                                                   EEOC for reconsideration does not toll
                                                                   90 day filing period

                                 9.131.60 When state is defendant, right to sue letter
                                                  must be obtained from Department of Justice

                                                  9.131.61 Statute

                                                  9.131.62 Cases

                                 9.131.70 Issuance of right-to-sue letter before 180 days
                                                  has run

                                                  9.131.71 EEOC regulation

                                                  9.131.72 Whether EEOC regulation is valid

                                 9.131.80 Plaintiff can only file suit after receiving a right-
                                                  to-sue letter that is issued in connection with a
                                                  timely-filed EEOC charge

                      9.132 Discrete acts

                                 9.132.10 Request for accommodation is a discrete act

                      9.133 Non-discrete acts

                                 9.133.10 Applicability of National Railroad to 42 U.S.C. §
                                                  1981

                      9.134 When cause of action accrues

                                 9.134.10 Question of federal law

                      9.135 Particular claims

                                 9.135.10 Constructive discharge

                                 9.135.20 Tolling during application for class certification

           9.140 Grounds for excusing late filing

                      9.141 Continuing violation

                                 9.141.10 Equal Pay Act

                      9.142 Waiver

                      9.143 Equitable estoppel

                      9.144 Equitable tolling

                                 9.144.10 Attorney mistake

                                 9.144.20 EEOC mistake

           9.150 Effect of a nonsuit or dismissal without prejudice

           9.160 Lapsed claim cannot be revived by filing new EEOC charge

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9.200 Other procedural defenses

 

9.300 Absolute immunity

           9.310 Judicial immunity

                      9.311 Quasi-judicial immunity

                                 9.311.10 Defense not available to official capacity
                                                  defendant

           9.320 Eleventh Amendment immunity

                      9.321 General principles

                                 9.321.10 Standard of review

                                 9.321.20 Text of Eleventh Amendment

                                                  9.321.21 Explanation of Eleventh Amendment
                                                                   immunity

                                 9.321.30 Who is protected by the Eleventh Amendment?

                                                  9.321.31 Who has burden of proof?

                                                  9.321.32 Test for determining whether a
                                                                   governmental entity is an arm of the
                                                                   state

                                                  9.321.33 State must be real party in interest

                                                  9.321.34 Local governmental entity

                                                  9.321.35 Hybrid entity

                                                  9.321.36 Individual liability

                                                  9.321.37 Puerto Rico as a state

                                 9.321.40 Cases addressing whether a particular entity is
                                                  an arm of the state

                                                  9.321.41 School board

                                                  9.321.42 School district

                                 9.321.50 Whether Congress has abrogated Eleventh
                                                  Amendment immunity

                                                  9.321.51 Two-pronged test for Congressional
                                                                   abrogation of states' immunity

                                 9.321.60 Whether a state has waived Eleventh
                                                  Amendment immunity

                                                  9.321.61 Intention to waive immunity

                                                  9.321.62 Acceptance of federal funds

                                                  9.321.63 Whether removal to federal court
                                                                   constitutes a waiver

                                 9.321.70 Relief available against the state

                                                  9.321.71 Injunctive relief

                                 9.321.80 Miscellaneous issues

                                                  9.321.81 When must defense be raised

                                                  9.321.82 Supplemental jurisdiction statute does
                                                                   not toll time for bringing action in
                                                                   state court

                                                  9.321.83 Right to interlocutory appeal

                                                  9.321.84 Plaintiff must obtain right to sue letter
                                                                   from Attorney General or state retains
                                                                   immunity

                      9.322 ADEA

                                 9.322.10 State can still be sued by United States

                      9.323 ADA

                                 9.323.10 Ex Parte Young actions permitted

                                 9.323.20 State can still be sued by United States

                                 9.323.30 State can still be sued in most state courts

                                 9.323.40 ADA retaliation claims

                      9.324 Equal Pay Act

                      9.325 FMLA

                      9.326 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                      9.327 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                      9.328 Rehabilitation Act

                                 9.328.10 Waiver based on receipt of federal funds

                      9.329 Title VII

                                 9.329.10 Disparate impact claims

                                 9.329.20 Religious discrimination claims

                                 9.329.30 Retaliation claims

                                 9.329.40 Sexual harassment claims

                                                  9.329.41 Same sex harassment claims

                     

           9.330 Sovereign immunity

                      9.331 Tribal sovereign immunity

                                 9.331.10 ADEA does not apply to Indian Tribes

                      9.332 Sovereign immunity can be raised any time

                      9.333 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act

                      9.334 Sovereign immunity does not apply to a suit brought by
                                 the EEOC

           9.340 Legislative immunity

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9.400 Qualified immunity

           9.410 Standard of review

           9.420 General principles

                      9.421 Who can raise qualified immunity defense?

                      9.422 What is the test for determining entitlement to qualified
                                 immunity?

                                 9.422.10 Defendant's subjective state of mind is not
                                                  considered

                                 9.422.20 Whether law is clearly established

                                                  9.422.21 Plaintiff has burden of proof that law is
                                                                   clearly established

                      9.423 Is qualified immunity determination a judge or jury
                                 question?

                      9.424 When is qualified immunity determination made?

                                 9.424.10 Qualified immunity determination can be made
                                                  at trial when factual issue must be decided
                                                  before ruling can be made

                      9.425 Denial of qualified immunity is immediately appealable if
                                 the issue is a question of law as opposed to a factual
                                 dispute

                      9.426 Heightened pleading standard

           9.430 Particular claims

                      9.431 Overview

                      9.432 42 U.S.C. § 1981

                      9.433 42 U.S.C. § 1983

                      9.434 Title VII

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9.500 Res Judicata (CLAIM PRECLUSION) / Collateral Estoppel
           (ISSUE PRECLUSION)

           9.510 Standard of review

           9.520 Standard for applying res judicata or claim preclusion

                      9.521 Same cause of action

                                 9.521.10 Denial of leave to add a claim can constitute the
                                                  first suit

                      9.522 Whether privity exists

                                 9.522.10 Virtual representation

                                 9.522.20 Control

                                 9.522.30 No privity between a private party and a
                                                  governmental agency because agency's
                                                  interests are broader

                      9.523 Whether subsequent claim can be barred where right to
                                 sue letter had not been received during the pendency of
                                 the earlier claim

           9.530 Standard for applying collateral estoppel or issue preclusion

                      9.531 State court finding

           9.540 Miscellaneous issues regarding claim and issue preclusion

                      9.541 Employee's use of res judicata

                      9.542 State administrative findings

                      9.543 Whether plaintiff can pursue state administrative
                                 remedies and then pursue a federal cause of action for
                                 remedies that were unavailable in the state proceedings?

                      9.544 What if plaintiff could have pursued discrimination claim
                                 in state proceedings?

                      9.545 Rooker-Feldman doctrine

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9.600 Judicial Estoppel

           9.610 Defining / proving judicial estoppel

           9.620 Representations made in regard to Social Security or other
                      disability benefits

                      9.621 ADEA

                      9.622 ADA

           9.630 Workers' compensation

           9.640 Others representations of disability

           9.650 Failure to disclose employment discrimination claim in
                      bankruptcy court

                      9.651 Cause of action belongs to bankruptcy trustee

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9.700 General defenses

           9.710 Ability tests

           9.720 Bona fide occupational qualification

                      9.721 Positions for which BFOQ defense applies

                                 9.721.01 Correctional officer

                      9.722 Age as a BFOQ

                      9.723 Defense available when employee is pregnant

           9.730 Business necessity

                      9.731 Specific cases

                                 9.731.01 Police officer's ability to run

           9.740 Collective bargaining agreement

           9.750 Merit system

           9.760 Seniority system

                      9.761 Proving a non-bona fide seniority system

           9.770 Advice of counsel

                      9.771 Governmental entity, not individual defendant, holds
                                 attorney/client privilege

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9.800 Other defenses

           9.810 Price Waterhouse or mixed-motive defense

           9.820 Laches

                      9.821 Standard of review

                      9.822 Laches may only bar the older part of a harassment
                                 claim

           9.830 Waiver of claim

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