Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-00156/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-00156-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:1981jb Job Discrimination (Race)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MELVIN SPENCER,

Plaintiff,

vs.

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF SAN 

DIEGO COUNTY,

Defendant.

CASE NO. 19cv156-LAB (MSB)

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO 

PROCEED IN FORMA PAUPERIS [Dkt. 

2];

ORDER DISMISSING PLAINTIFF’S 

COMPLAINT WITHOUT PREJUDICE.

On January 24, 2019, Plaintiff Melvin Spencer brought this suit against his former

employer, Goodwill Industries, alleging that Goodwill discriminated against him on the basis 

of his race in violation of Title VII. Pending before the Court is his petition to proceed in 

forma pauperis.

Spencer’s IFP application states that his average monthly income over the previous 

year was approximately $1,345. A portion of this amount is (or was) his salary from Goodwill 

and the remainder is comprised of government assistance. The Court finds Spencer is 

unable to pay the filing fee, and his motion to proceed IFP is therefore GRANTED. Dkt. 2. 

When a plaintiff is permitted to proceed IFP, the Court is required to screen the 

complaint, and to dismiss it to the extent it is frivolous or malicious, fails to state a claim, or 

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seeks monetary relief from an immune defendant. See 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B); Lopez v. 

Smith, 203 F.3d 1122, 1127 (9th Cir. 2000) (en banc). 

Prior to filing a suit for violation of Title VII, a complainant must first file a complaint 

with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) within 180 days of the 

alleged violation. 29 C.F.R. § 1601.13(a)(1). “If the EEOC does not bring suit based on the 

charge, the EEOC must ‘notify the person aggrieved’ that [he or] she can file suit.” Surrell 

v. Cal. Water Serv. Co., 518 F.3d 1097, 1104 (9th Cir. 2008) (citing 42 U.S.C. § 2000e5(f)(1)). This notice is usually given in the form of a “right-to-sue letter,” and “once a person 

receives an EEOC right-to-sue letter, [he or] she has 90 days to file suit.” Id. While Spencer

alleges that he received a right-to-sue letter on November 20, 2018, he has not provided a 

copy of that letter as he was instructed to do on Page 5 of his form complaint. Accordingly, 

he has not established that this Court presently has the ability to hear his claim. Spencer’s 

complaint is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.

1

 He may re-file an amended complaint 

with a copy of the right-to-sue letter from the EEOC (or some other evidence that he has 

exhausted his administrative remedies) no later than March 4, 2019. If he fails to amend 

by that date, the Court will close the case.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 4, 2019

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

Chief United States District Judge

 

1 At this point, the Court does not opine on the sufficiency of Spencer’s allegations under 

Title VII, simply that he has not adequately pled jurisdiction.

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