McCaffety v. Specialty Motor Sales LLC et al

Filing 11

ORDER granting 9 Motion for Settlement; adopting 10 Report and Recommendations. Signed by Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. on 10/27/2014. (VMF)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
ORLANDO DIVISION
KAITLYNN MCCAFFETY,
Plaintiff,
v.

Case No. 6:14-cv-1217-Orl-37KRS

SPECIALTY MOTOR SALES, LLC; and
JAMES MILLS,
Defendants.
ORDER
This cause is before the Court on the following:
1.

Plaintiff’s Motion to Approve Settlement and Enter a Stipulated Judgment
Dismissing the Case (Doc. 9), filed October 6, 2014; and

2.

Magistrate Judge Karla R. Spaulding’s Report and Recommendation
(Doc. 10), filed October 9, 2014.

The parties to this Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) minimum-wage action move
for approval of their settlement agreement. (Doc. 9.) In a well-reasoned Report and
Recommendation (“R&R”), Magistrate Judge Spaulding recommends approving the
settlement agreement. (Doc. 10.) Neither party has objected to the R&R, and the period
for doing so has expired. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b)(2).
Upon consideration, the Court finds that the R&R is due to be adopted and
confirmed and made a part of this Order. The parties’ motion for approval of the settlement
agreement is therefore due to be granted as well. However, the Court construes the
release addressed in the settlement agreement (see Doc. 9-1, pp. 1–2) as a release only
of those FLSA claims that were or could have been raised based on the facts alleged in

the Complaint (Doc. 1). Any broader construction would undermine the goals of the FLSA
and would render the settlement agreement unenforceable. See Moreno v. Regions
Bank, 729 F. Supp. 2d 1346, 1351 (M.D. Fla. 2010) (“Although inconsequential in the
typical civil case (for which settlement requires no judicial review), an employer is not
entitled to use an FLSA claim (a matter arising from the employer's failing to comply with
the FLSA) to leverage a release from liability unconnected to the FLSA.”).
Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED AND ADJUDGED:
1.

Magistrate Judge Karla R. Spaulding’s Report and Recommendation
(Doc. 10) is ADOPTED and CONFIRMED and made a part of this Order.

2.

Plaintiff’s Motion to Approve Settlement and Enter a Stipulated Judgment
Dismissing the Case (Doc. 9) is GRANTED.

3.

The parties’ Settlement Agreement and Release (Doc. 9-1) is APPROVED
as construed by this Order.

4.

This action is DISMISSED with prejudice. The Clerk is DIRECTED to close
the file.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers in Orlando, Florida, on October 27, 2014.

Copies:

2

Counsel of Record

3