Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-00902-41/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 790
Nature of Suit: Other Labor Litigation
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Account Receivable

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LIONEL HARPER, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, LLC,

Defendant.

No. 2:19-CV-0902-WBS-DMC

ORDER

Plaintiffs Lionel Harper, Daniel Sinclair, Hassan Turner, Luis Vasquez, and Pedro 

Abascal, who are proceeding with retained counsel, bring this civil action pursuant to, among 

other theories, California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), California Labor Code § 2698, 

et seq. Pending before the Court are: (1) Plaintiff Harper’s motion, ECF No. 233, to compel 

further responses to written discovery and (2) Defendant’s ex parte motion, ECF No. 248, to 

extend the deadline to produce sampling data relating to Plaintiff’s Harper’s PAGA claim.

This action currently proceeds on Plaintiffs’ second amended complaint. See ECF 

No. 147. The District Judge issued an order on October 13, 2021, addressing Defendant’s motion 

to compel arbitration. See ECF No. 202. In that motion, Defendant sought: (1) to compel 

arbitration of Plaintiff Harper’s claims and stay the action pending arbitration; and (2) compel 

arbitration of claims by Plaintiffs Turner, Vasquez, and Abascal and dismiss those claims from 

the case. See id. at 2. The District Judge granted Defendant’s motion and stayed the action as to 

Case 2:19-cv-00902-WBS-DMC Document 265 Filed 02/07/22 Page 1 of 3
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Counts One through Nine of the second amended complaint pending arbitration of individual 

claims raised by Plaintiff’s Harper, Turner, Vasquez, and Abascal. See id. at 24-25. On 

Plaintiffs’ counsel’s request at the hearing, the District Judge also stayed Plaintiff Sinclair’s 

individual claims pending arbitration. See id. 

The District Judge did not at that time, however, stay Plaintiff Harper’s PAGA 

claim. See id. at 24. The District Judge held:

However, because a stay would impede vindication of 

California’s interests in enforcing the Labor Code through representative 

PAGA actions, discussed above, and because the PAGA claim represents 

a distinct “action” in this case, the court will not stay Harper’s PAGA 

claim. See Jarboe v. Hanlees Auto Grp., 53 Cal. App. 5th 539, 557 (1st 

Dist. 2020) (“Because a PAGA claim is representative and does not

belong to an employee individually, an employer should not be able 

dictate how and where the representative action proceeds.”)

ECF No. 202, pg. 24.

On November 30, 2021, the District Judge issued an order addressing Defendant’s 

motion for reconsideration of the October 13, 2021, order on Defendant’s motion to dismiss. See

ECF No. 222. The District Judge amended his prior order to “clarify that the statute of limitations 

precluded Harper from challenging wage statement violations alleged to have occurred prior to 

September 14, 2017, rather than prior to July 11, 2017.” Id. at 7. The District Judge denied 

Defendant’s alternative request for certification of the prior order for interlocutory appeal. See id.

at 8. 

On November 30, 2021, the District Judge also issued an order addressing Plaintiff 

Sinclair’s motion to lift the stay of proceedings as to his claims and a motion for class 

certification. See ECF No. 223. The District Judge granted the motion and lifted the stay of 

proceedings as to Plaintiff Sinclair’s claims. See id. at pg. 3. The District Judge also directed the 

parties to submit a stipulated briefing schedule as to a renewed motion for class certification. See

id. 

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

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On January 26, 2022, the District Judge issued an order staying Plaintiff’s 

Harper’s PAGA claims pending the Supreme Court’s decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. 

Moriana. See ECF No. 261. The District Judge’s January 26, 2022, order also referred 

Defendant’s ex parte motion to extend the deadline for production of sampling data to the 

undersigned for decision. See id. 

Based on the District Judge’s various orders, this action is currently stayed on all 

claims except Plaintiff’s Sinclair’s individual claims. Both of the discovery motions currently 

pending before the Court relate to stayed claims, specifically Plaintiff Harper’s individual and 

PAGA claims. The motions will, therefore, be denied without prejudice to renewal following 

such time as the District Judge may lift the stays on Plaintiff Harper’s individual and PAGA 

claims. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff Harper’s motion to compel, ECF No. 233, is denied without 

prejudice; 

2. Defendant’s ex parte motion to extend the deadline to produce sampling 

data relating to Plaintiff Harper’s PAGA claim is denied without prejudice; and

3. The hearing set for February 23, 2022, on Plaintiff Harper’s motion to 

compel, ECF No. 233, is vacated. 

Dated: February 4, 2022

____________________________________

DENNIS M. COTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:19-cv-00902-WBS-DMC Document 265 Filed 02/07/22 Page 3 of 3