UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN 

SOUTHERN DIVISION 

LASHAWN YOUNG, 

 

 Plaintiff, Case No. 15-cv-11028 

 Honorable Marianne O. Battani 

v. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford 

METROPOLITAN LIFE 

INSURANCE COMPANY, 

 Defendant. 

____________________________/ 

ORDER STRIKING FILING [14]

 On March 19, 2015, Defendant Metropolitan Life Insurance Company 

(“MetLife”) removed the instant case to this court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 

1331 and 29 U.S.C. § 1132(e)(f), as the case involves a dispute over 

employee benefits, governed by a plan covered by the Employee 

Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), 29 U.S.C. §§1002, 

1132(a)(1)(B). The Court held a scheduling conference in this matter, 

where the parties were apprised of the proper procedure for such cases 

and issued a corresponding scheduling order that permitted 45 days for the 

filing of the administrative record, as well as other applicable dates. [R. 

11]. 

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 On May 28, 2015, Young filed a letter with the Court alleging that 

MetLife’s “stall tactics” caused him to be terminated from his employment. 

[R. 14]. He alleges that MetLife’s removal of the case to federal court, and 

his required presence at the scheduling conference, caused him to miss 

training and work, resulting in his termination. 

 Young’s filing [R. 14] is hereby STRICKEN for failing to comport to 

the Federal or Local rules of procedure, and as irrelevant to the issues 

present in this case. This case is confined to the question of whether 

MetLife’s decision to deny Young short-term disability benefits should be 

upheld or reversed, based solely on the administrative record. The Court 

will not consider ancillary matters such as Young’s termination from a 

separate job. 

 Further, the Court’s rules require filings to be of proper type and 

format. Appropriate filings include pleadings, motions, and briefs in support 

of, or responsive to, motions. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 7. Letters to the court 

are not acceptable filings. Id. Filings must also comport with the federal 

and local rules regarding format. See e.g. Fed. R. Civ. P. 10; E.D. Mich. 

Local Rule 5.1, 7.1. Despite Young’s pro se status, he is nevertheless 

required to apprise himself of, and adhere to, the applicable court rules. 

Young is advised that any document that either fails to comport with the 

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applicable rules, or concerns matters irrelevant to this case, will be stricken 

without further notice. 

 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: May 19, 2015 s/Elizabeth A. Stafford 

 ELIZABETH A. STAFFORD 

 United States Magistrate Judge 

NOTICE TO THE PARTIES REGARDING OBJECTIONS

 The parties’ attention is drawn to Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a), which 

provides a period of fourteen (14) days from the date of receipt of a copy of 

this order within which to file objections for consideration by the district 

judge under 28 U.S. C. §636(b)(1). 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

The undersigned certifies that the foregoing document was served upon 

counsel of record and any unrepresented parties via the Court’s ECF 

System to their respective email or First Class U.S. mail addresses 

disclosed on the Notice of Electronic Filing on May 29, 2015. 

s/Marlena Williams 

 MARLENA WILLIAMS 

Case Manager 

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