LAUREN PFEIFER V NORTHLAND ANESTHESIA ASSOC
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
LAUREN PFEIFER,
UNPUBLISHED
May 4, 1999
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v
No. 200476
Oakland Circuit Court
LC No. 96-528221 NZ
NORTHLAND ANESTHESIA ASSOCIATES,
P.C.,
Defendant-Appellee,
and
PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL and IAN JACKSON,
M.D.,
Defendants.
Before: Kelly, P.J., and Neff and Smolenski, JJ.
PER CURIAM.
Plaintiff appeals by leave granted the trial court order granting defendant Northland Anesthesia
Associates partial summary disposition, based on a contractual agreement to arbitrate. We remand for
additional proceedings. This appeal is being decided without oral argument pursuant to MCR 7.214(E).
Plaintiff was employed by defendant Northland Anesthesia Associates under an agreement that
contained an arbitration provision, requiring that any controversy arising from or relating to the
agreement shall be determined by arbitration in Oakland County in accordance with the rules of the
American Arbitration Association. Plaintiff terminated her employment prior to the expiration of the
contract, and filed this action alleging violation of the Civil Rights Act, MCL 37.2120 et seq; MSA
3.548(101) et seq.
The trial court found that plaintiff’s sex discrimination claims clearly arose from or were related
to the employment agreement. The Court found nothing in the Civil Rights Act which would preclude
arbitration, and it granted summary disposition on the claims against Northland Anesthesia.
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Subsequent to the trial court’s order, several opinions were issued regarding the arbitrability of
civil rights claims, culminating in the conflict panel decision in Rembert v Ryan’s Family Steak Houses,
Inc, ___ Mich App ___; ___ NW2d ___ (Docket No. 196542, issued 4/9/1999). Rembert holds
that a predispute agreement to arbitrate statutory employment discrimination claims is enforceable
provided that the arbitration procedures are fair and that the agreement waives no substantive rights and
remedies.
Rembert contains an extensive review of state and federal law of contracts, arbitration, and civil
rights. The panel adopted new requirements to determine whether the parties intended to arbitrate
statutory employment discrimination claims, and whether the arbitration procedures are fair and the
agreement waives no substantive rights and remedies. The trial court did not have the benefit of this
analysis at the time it rendered its decision on defendant’s motion. As in Rembert, supra, it is
necessary to remand this case for a determination whether the conditions were met for the application
and enforcement of the agreement.
Remanded for application of the standards identified in Rembert, supra. We do not retain
jurisdiction.
/s/ Michael J. Kelly
/s/ Janet T. Neff
/s/ Michael R. Smolenski
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