Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-00015/USCOURTS-azd-2_11-cv-00015-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal - Employment Discrimination

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Robert V. Tuzon; Cindy Baker, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs.

Pauline Campuzano and her Spouse John

Doe I Campuzano; Augustine Rameriz and

his (her) Spouse Jane (I) (John II) Doe

Rameriz; Audrey Ortero and her Spouse

John Doe III; Sandi Maeser and her

Spouse John Doe IV; Paul Finkelstein and

his Spouse Jane Doe II; Regis Corporation,

Defendants. 

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No. CV-11-00015-PHX-GMS

ORDER

Pending before the Court are: (1) a Motion to Remand (Doc. 8), filed by Plaintiffs

Robert V. Tuzon and Cindy Baker; (2) a “Motion for Court to Order Defendants” (Doc. 9),

filed by Plaintiffs; and (3) a Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 11), filed by Defendants. For the

following reasons, the Court grants Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand and denies as moot

Plaintiff’s “Motion for Court to Order Defendants” and Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss. 

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs’ complaint alleges the following. (Doc. 1, Ex. A). For the last ten years,

Ms. Baker has been employed as a professional stylist–and at times as Assistant Manager–at

Style America Salon (“Style America”), which is a part of the Regis Corporation. While

working as the Assistant Manager, Ms. Baker enforced Regis’ policies regarding cell phone

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use and dress code, and as a result, her co-workers–Defendants Campuzano, Maeser,

Ramirez, and Ortero–retaliated against her. Defendants reduced Ms. Baker’s hours while she

was pregnant, denied her request to attend church, and removed her from her position as

Assistant Manager. Plaintiffs further allege that between May 2009 and January 2011, Ms.

Baker’s co-workers interfered with Plaintiffs’ purchase of a home. Defendant Finkelstein

(Regis Corporation’s President) failed to respond to complaints filed by Ms. Baker regarding

her co-workers’ conduct. Plaintiffs contend that they lost approximately $10,200 and the

ability to purchase a home as a result of Defendants’ conduct.

Plaintiffs filed suit in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleging claims such as

employment discrimination, fraud, defamation, and tortious interference. Defendants

removed the case to this Court. (Doc. 1).

DISCUSSION

I. Motion to Remand

A. Legal Standard

“[A]ny civil action brought in a State court of which the district courts of the United

States have original jurisdiction, may be removed by the defendant . . . to the district court

of the United States for the district and division embracing the place where such action is

pending.” 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a). In other words, “[o]nly state-court actions that originally

could have been filed in federal court may be removed to federal court by the defendant.”

Caterpillar, Inc. v. Williams, 482 U.S. 386, 392 (1987). “If at any time before final judgment

it appears that the district court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the case shall be remanded.”

28 U.S.C. § 1447(c). There is a “strong presumption” against removal, and “[f]ederal

jurisdiction must be rejected if there is any doubt as to the right of removal in the first

instance.” Gaus v. Miles, Inc., 980 F.2d 564, 566 (9th Cir. 1992) (citing Libhart v. Santa

Monica Dairy Co., 592 F.2d 1062, 1064 (9th Cir. 1979)). Moreover, “[t]he party asserting

jurisdiction has the burden of proving all jurisdictional facts.” Indus. Tectonics, Inc. v. Aero

Alloy, 912 F.2d 1090, 1092 (9th Cir. 1990). 

Because the parties do not argue that diversity jurisdiction exists, only the question

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of federal question jurisdiction remains. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1331, “[t]he district courts shall

have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties

of the United States.” A case “‘arises under’ federal law . . . if ‘a well-pleaded complaint

establishes either that federal law creates the cause of action or that the plaintiff’s right to

relief necessarily depends on resolution of a substantial question of federal law.’” Proctor.

v. Vishay Intertech. Inc., 584 F.3d 1208, 1219 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting Empire Healthchoice

Assurance, Inc. v. McVeigh, 547 U.S. 677, 689–90 (2006)). Furthermore, as “master[s] of

the complaint,” Plaintiffs “may defeat removal by choosing not to plead independent federal

claims.” ARCO Envtl. Remediation, LLC v. Dep’t of Health and Human Servs., 213 F.3d

1108, 1114 (9th Cir. 2000) (citing Caterpillar, 482 U.S. at 392). 

B. Analysis

In their Motion to Remand, Plaintiffs repeatedly assert that their “complaint states

Arizona Constitution violation issues, as well as Arizona Torts” and that the Arizona state

court system is the proper channel through which to adjudicate their state law claims. (Doc.

8 at 14). In their Response, Defendants argue that Plaintiffs’ “claims for employment

discrimination, possibly based on religion, inability to speak Spanish, and pregnancy” may

be based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, thereby satisfying federal question

jurisdiction and supplemental jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367. (Doc. 12).

However, the mere fact that Plaintiffs’ employment discrimination claims may be based on

Title VII does not create federal question jurisdiction where Plaintiffs, as “master[s] of the

complaint”, repeatedly contend that their claims are based on state law and seek to remand

on that basis. Plaintiffs’ employment discrimination claims may also be supported by the

Arizona Civil Rights Act. See A.R.S. § 41-1463. “When a claim can be supported by

alternative and independent theories–one of which is a state law theory and one of which is

a federal law theory–federal question jurisdiction does not attach because federal law is not

a necessary element of the claim.” Rains v. Criterion Sys., Inc., 80 F.3d 339, 346 (9th Cir.

1996). Accordingly, Plaintiffs’ complaint does not establish either that federal law creates

a cause of action or that Plaintiffs’ right to relief depends on the resolution of a federal

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 On June 30, 2011, the Court entered an Order to Show Cause why Defendant Regis

Corporation should not be dismissed as a result of Plaintiffs’ failure to serve the Summons

and Complaint. (Doc. 36). Plaintiffs responded by providing the certified mail receipt of an

article addressed to “Paul Finkelspein, [sic] CEO for Regis Corporation.” (Doc. 37). In

response, Regis Corporation entered a limited appearance for the purpose of supplying the

Court with the contents of the mailing to Paul Finkelstein and reasserting, as Defendants have

several times before, that Regis Corporation has not been served in this matter. (Doc. 38,

39). The documents clarify that Plaintiffs served Paul Finkelstein as an individual

Defendant, but service was not effected separately on the Corporation itself. Because the

deadline for service of process is long overdue, Regis Corporation is terminated from this

action. 

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question. 

Moreover, even if Plaintiffs intended to bring their employment discrimination claim

pursuant to Title VII, they could not do so because Title VII prohibits employers from

discriminating against employees based on protected characteristics, and Plaintiffs have

failed to serve process on any employer. Under Title VII, an “employer” is defined as “a

person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has fifteen or more employees for

each working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding

calendar year, and any agent of such a person.” 42 U.S.C. §2000(e)(b). Individual

defendants may not be liable for employment discrimination claims. See Miller v. Maxwell’s

Int’l Inc., 991 F.2d 583, 587 (9th Cir. 1993) (“[I]t is inconceivable that Congress intended

to allow civil liability to run against individual employees.”). Thus, Defendants Campuzano,

Ramirez, Ortero, Maeser, Finkelstein and their spouses cannot be employers pursuant to the

statute, and Defendant Regis Corporation is dismissed from this action without prejudice due

to Plaintiffs’ failure to serve.1

Plaintiffs’ motion to remand is granted because the case does not arise under federal

law. The Title VII claim which Defendants base their opposition to remand upon cannot exist

where no employer has been served and the deadline for service has expired. Accordingly,

the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction in this case. 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED:

1. Plaintiffs’ Motion to Remand (Doc. 8) is GRANTED. The Clerk of the Court

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is directed to remand this case to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Prior to remanding,

the Clerk of the Court is directed to TERMINATE Defendant Regis Corporation from the

action. 

2. Plaintiffs’ “Motion for Court to Order Defendants” (Doc. 9) is DENIED as

moot. 

3. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (Doc. 11) is DENIED as moot. 

DATED this 27th day of July, 2011.

Case 2:11-cv-00015-GMS Document 40 Filed 07/27/11 Page 5 of 5