May v. AT&T Integrated Disabilty
Filing
53
MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge William M Acker, Jr on 7/3/13. (ASL)
FILED
2013 Jul-03 PM 03:42
U.S. DISTRICT COURT
N.D. OF ALABAMA
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
SOUTHERN DIVISION
DORIS W. MAY,
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Plaintiff,
v.
AT&T CORPORATION, et al.,
Defendants.
CIVIL ACTION NO.
11-AR-1923-S
MEMORANDUM OPINION
The report and recommendation submitted by the magistrate
judge in the above-entitled case on March 8, 2013, is comprehensive
and more than adequately recites the pertinent facts and procedural
circumstances for deciding whether the magistrate judge reached the
legal
conclusions
correct.
this
court
hereinafter
finds
to
have
been
The only important fact absent from the report and
recommendation is the one inserted by plaintiff, Doris W. May
(“May”), in her objections to the report and recommendation,
namely, that after the matter was under submission, the Social
Security Administration found May to be totally disabled as of May
16, 2010.
This fact, which is not in the “administrative record”
for the purposes of considering May’s ERISA claim, is the subject
of defendants’ motion to strike.
During her vain pro se attempts to prove her entitlement to
ERISA disability benefits, May was no match for defendants, AT&T
Corporation,
AT&T
Integrated
Disability,
and
Sedgwick
Management Services, Inc., and their experienced counsel.
Claims
Because
the magistrate judge dealt separately with the ERISA claim, this
court will do likewise.
In addition to invoking ERISA, May attempted to pursue claims
under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), the Rehabilitation
Act (“RA”), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Given
warning after warning that she was suing the wrong entity under
these statutes, she never amended her complaint to seek relief from
her employer.
It is undisputed that her only employer was AT&T
Services, Inc.
If she expected the magistrate judge to overlook
the fact that she continuously failed to sue the only entity
against
which
disappointed.
she
could
pursue
such
claims,
she
has
been
The magistrate judge is correct in recommending a
dismissal of the action insofar as it relies on FMLA, RA, and/or
ADA.
The magistrate judge correctly, if redundantly, points out
that
these
three
claims
are
also
barred
by
the
statutes
of
limitations applicable to them.
The insurmountable obstacles in the way of May’s claims under
FMLA, RA, and ADA, may explain May’s failure to interpose any
objections
to
the
recommendation
that
defendants’
motion
for
summary judgment against May as to these statutory claims be
granted.
May’s objections to the report and recommendation not meeting
the requisite standards of specificity with respect to her FMLA,
RA, and ADA claims, they are DEEMED abandoned.
2
See Rule 72(b)(2)
and (3), F.R.Civ.P.
Accordingly, they will not be given de novo
consideration by this court.
On their face they are lacking in
colorable merit for the reasons articulated by the magistrate
judge.
Because the magistrate judge’s renditions of the facts and his
conclusions of law are correct with respect to May’s FMLA, RA, and
ADA claims, his opinion is hereby ADOPTED as the opinion of the
court on these issues.
A separate order effectuating this opinion will be entered.
DONE this 3rd day of July, 2013.
_____________________________
WILLIAM M. ACKER, JR.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
3
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