Blackwell v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., No. 7:2013cv00331 - Document 36 (W.D. Va. 2014)

Court Description: MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Samuel G. Wilson on 3/3/14. (eot)

Download PDF
CLERKS OFFI U,S.DI .COURT CE ST AT ROANOKE,VA FI LED I TH E U NI N TED STA TES D I STR I T CO UR T C FO R TH E W ESTER N DI STR I O F V I G I I CT R N A RO AN O K E D I I O N V SI MA2 g3 2 1 24 JUE Z B: D x UCRK I RK t I A N BLA C K W ELL, M Ci lA cton N o.7: vi i 13-CV 331 Pl ntff ai i , V. M EM O R AN D UM O PINIO N A BER CR O M BI & FI CH STO R ES,IN C. E T , By: Sam uelG .W ison l U nied Stat D i ri Judge t es st ct D ef endant . Thi i a a to f rn gie c un e tec u tsd v ri u idci n 2 U. C. 1 3 , s s n cin o e l n e d r h o r' i est rs ito , 8 S. j 3 2 g yj by pl ntf ,I a Bl c e l a ns de e nt Abe c om bi & Fic St r s l ai i f m n a kw l, gai t f nda , r r e t h o e , nc. (s r o e',f ijliss s t ne whe a i oxiae maeat ke he i a i crmbi ' or n t e he usai d n n nt c td l tac d r n n Abe ) r Abe c om bi dr sng r . A st sco tno e i an ea le opi on, rr e es i oom hi ur t d n ri r ni underl s a ng ong- t ndi pr ce ntr c nty r fi m e by t Su e e Co tofV i g ni a busne sow ne or na iy e de e e l ea tr d he pr m ur r i a, i s r di r l ow e a dut t isi t st wa n a pr t c a i tt r pa t crm i lac s onl whe t r i s y o t nviee o r nd o e t ga ns hid ry i na t y n he e s a i m i ntpr ba lt ofha The c tdim i s Bl c e l sea le c pl i be aus i n m ne o biiy nu. our s s ed a kw l' ri r om a nt c e t f ie t s a l d o ugges t tAber r bi ' em pl shad r s n t s pe tt i oxi a e vi io t ha c om e s oyee ea o o us c he nt c t d s t r pos a i m i ed n m nentt ea ofha m t any ofis pa r . The c t e f i t nc t tt r hr t r o t tons our not d, or ns a e, ha he e w e e no a l tonst tan A be c om bi e pl e s w t i oxi a ed vi io br ndih a r lega i ha rr e m oye a he nt c t st r a s w e pon,a tphys ca l agg e s ve m a i i i tng ort e t ni r m a ks ore e t a c i ly r s i , ke ntm da i hr a e ng e r , nt r he d e sng r om a ea w ih no a r ntl gii a e pur e. The c t ho e ,gr nt d Bl ck e l r si o r t ppa e e tm t pos our , w ver a e a w l l a t a e a s ha now fl a a ende c pl i s i t tt s pi ous e ve o m nd, nd he s ied n m d om a nt how ng ha he us ci , i t ca ed vi iordi a a ed fom s g when he a oa hed t dr s ng r n oxi t s t s ppe r r i ht ppr c he es i oom a e w ih no ra t a r ntl gii a e pur e. Onc a i A be cr bi hasm o d t di m i st de Fe R . v. ppa e e tm t pos e ga n, r om e ve o s s m r d. Ci ' ' P.1 b)6) Thec tnow fndst tBlck lhassae aplusbl cli f rle a de e 2( ( . our i ha a wel ttd a i e am or eif nd nis A be c om bi ' m oto rr e s i n. W hie a c t e i A be c om bi ss or ,Bl ckwel,a yo l usom r n rr e' t e a l ung, i f m a e,c e m nor e l hos s e iem s a one ofA be c om bi se pl e t n es or e he t a dr s i r om t , nd rr e' m oye s he c t d r o e s ng oom w ih a t br oken l k. dr sng r oc The es i oom a eawa , de i n,poory lta Aber r r s by sg l i nd c ombi wa plyi e s a ng l ud m us c a n t ani cl o i ki o ght ub. W hie Bl c l a kwel r m a ned i t dr sng r , he s e A be c om bi e pl e who le i n he es i oom t am rr e m oye es or e he t r obs r a m a e l t ri ntfe a Rya Sit who a pe r i oxi a e e e c t d r he e e ved l , a e de ii d s n rk, p a ed nt c t d nt r t s or a w a k t a d t d es i r he t e nd l ow r he r sng oom a e A s c Abe c om bi e pl e a s no i d r a. e ond rr e m oye l o tce Si The e pl esdes i d hi asl ng i nd o s t 'a Ca tng ve y s dy,' nd nk. m oye crbe m ooki t ki f ke chy' nd t c i r ha ' a t s pec e Si m a t y t s e lm e c ndi e Alhoug t a ne no t t n t i ba kst hey us t d nk y r o t a r ha s . t h r i d t o ur he r c o s pi i c t e s who e t r t s or ,bot em pl esl ts g ofSi - one i e i na l us c ous us om r n e ed he t e h oye os i ht nk nt nto ly s - a trha ngj ts nhi he di t r t drs i r ae wihoutmec ndie At o fe vi us ee m a ng owa d he e sng oom ra t rha s . t tpoi ,Si f ci y e e e Bl kw e l sdr s i r m a s xua l as a t d he . ha nt nk or bl nt r d ac l' e s ng oo nd e ly s ule r 1. 1 Theale tons i Bl kw e ls a e d c pl i l ad t t f ri e e e t t l ga i n ac l' m nde om a nt e o he ai nf r nc ha Ab rr mbe se o e sk e o as cfca du b tdt ra j s b f r t ea s ut ma i g eco i' mply e n w f pe ii n na ae h e t u t eo e h sa l, k n Bl c el' cl i a pl us bl one. a kw l s a m a i e The cour,i isN ovem be 21 201 m e or ndum opi on, s s toutt s a r f a tnt r , 3 m a ni ha e he t nda d or * moto t dimisunde Fe R. v. o.1 b)6 a t c r lngVigni lw onla lt in o s s r d. Ci Pr 2( () nd he ontoli r i a a ibiiy * t Rul 1 ( )6 sa ,tec ur mu td a a1 e s na l if rnc sfo t fcsi f vo o t At he e 2 b ( ) tge h o t s r w lr a o be n ee e r m he a t n a r f he plitf,s eKe i t Voune rFieDe .l c. M onco r Cou y. d.6 4 F.d46 467( t an if e nsnRon l te r pt. n v. t me v nt M , 8 3 2, 4h Ci. 2 , ttyt deemiewh ti e e e tej l ma uli t l d a fo t os fcs lde d r 201 ) no r o tr n a nfrnc s h u' y tmaey r w r m h e a t. n e , y r rng pl i egr equii ausbl oundsf r ifçdoesnoti or ele c mpos a pr e obabiiy r r lt equiementatt pl ng sage,' he eadi t ' 2 f t ci nala t ofat r pat ( ke No.26) l tnty,t Supr Cour of or he rmi cs hid ry.Doc t mpora l he eme t V igi a hasr ce l r a fnne t ti t c e o a busnes owneri t e r l tons p, i r ni e nty e f i d ha n he as f i s /nvie e a i hi lke he e adut t wanoft r pa t ci na a t aiesSo ywhe et r gs 'ni ne t r , y o r hid ry rmi l cs rs çnl r he e ij a mmi n p o a l yo ij r fo at r p ryc i n l c. Co n at v. tro 28 Va 3 9 r b bit f nu y' r m hid at rmia a t' mmo we l Pee s n, 6 . 4 , i ' h 357( 3)(ii Thomps v.SkaeAmeia l , Va 1 ,1 29( ).çmmi nt 201 ctng on t rc . nc.261 . 2l 28- 2001) k ne l pr biiy ofha m ' i ç he he g e d de ee off es a lt t tars s whe e t de e nt oba lt r 's û t i ht ne gr or ee biiy ha i e r he f nda û know st tc i i las a t a i tpe s a e occ r ng,ora e a tt oc ur on t ha r m na s uls ga ns r ons r ur i r bou o c , he prmie ,bas dupon d ieofas ii da rj tprort t asa t''1 (ntr l e s s' e notc pecfc nge us i o he s ul.' d. i ena cttonsomit .Alho hr quii notc ofas cii,i ne da r t SuprmeCour iai ted) t ug e rng ie pe fc mmi nt nge,he e t ofV igi a hasnotr r d notc ofe c l how t da rw ilm a f s is f r ni equie i e xa ty he nge l ni e t t el. l unde tki t sne esaiyfc-pe tci iy,Petron,286Va a 356(ntr n ra ng hi c srl a ts cii nqur es . t i enal cttonsomit ) t c ttndst tBlc lha no pl f t t ts tsyt Smmi n iai ted ,he our i ha a kwel s w ed acs ha aif he ç ne t i p o a ly o ij r 'sa d r a d alw tec u top a sbyifrt a Ab rr mbe s r b bit f nu y' tn ad n l h o r t lu i l n e h t ec o i' i o e o e sh dn tc o as e ii da g r Sik-j s b f r t ea s ut Be o Sn sv sbl mply e a oie f p cfc n e - n u t eo e h s a l. y nd ik' ii e i oxi ton,Bl c el haspl t tt A be c om bi e pl ess w Si i t s or ;f nt ca i a kw l ed ha wo rr e m oye a nk n he t e ound hi t be s pi ous a i t i w o dsts t hy' a is y''a s pe t d he pl nne t m o us ci , nd n he r r dke c ' nd ûhad ' nd us c e a do sea mer ha s . Pe ha mos to e o e t empl s wih t i c e nsa t l c ndie r ps t r ubl s m , he oyee , t her onc r boutt he s pi i c a t runa t d,l s s w hi a he he ded t r t di l 1tdr s ng r us c ous har c e ba e a t a m s a owa d he m y i es i oom a e ra wihoutaza r ntlgii t pur e t smedrsi r m ae wher oneoft ha j t t t ppa e e tmae pos ,he a e sng oo ra e hem d us e c t a t n l la young gila one t undr s be nd a doorwih a br s ored nd he ef r l o e s hi t oken l k. Thes oc e f c ua cic s a sand t r s na e i e e st tc n be d a f om t m esa i h a a t l r um t nce he ea o bl nf r nce ha a r wn r he t bls n i mi m nentpr obabiiy ofhanu t wasknow n t A ber om bi s em pl lt hat o cr e' oyees. Unlke t i he a a wel- eaded c nd lpl ompl ntm a pr ai y oceed eve i pr oft e f t s m si obabl Bel Ata i n f oof hos acs ee mpr e. l lntc Co p. Two y,5 U. 54 55 ( 00 . r v. mbl 50 S. 4, 6 2 7) dee nt i Pee s whobeive kg os i tnl basdont i or to a ia ea fnda s n tron, le d 'ml t mpora ty, e he nf main valbl t t ttm e . .t t s ot rha t d t a e a pos d no da rt o he s' t, t 9, ha i . hat he ho e d le he r a nd e nge o t r ,' ( a 35 1 . A be cr bi s e pl ye c i d t s pe tSi w a up t no good t i t m om e he r om e' m o es ontnue o us c nk s o mtl he nt dia a e fom t i sght s ppe r d r her i . 1 1. 1 Fort f e ng r a ons t c t ilde Abe c om bi s m ot - di m i s he or goi e s , he our w l ny rr e' ' ' s s. z ' wz EN TER : . .r M ar 3,2014. ch UVI STATESDI TRI J TED S CT UDGE 4

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.