N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
R OB ER T IR ISH, DB AFurniture Sa le s Age nts, Inc ., Individua l ly ,

Pla i ntiff-Appe lla

nt,
v. M AGNUSSEN HOM E FUR NISHINGS, INC ., De fe nda

n t-Appe l le e . No. 18-55650 D.C . No. 2:17-c v-00515-PSG-KS
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the C e ntra l Distric t of C a lifornia Philip S. Gutierre z , Distric t Judge , Pre siding Argue d an d Subm itte d Nove m be r 7, 2019 Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : SC HR OEDER , FR IEDLAND, a nd R
. NELSON, C irc u it Judge s. Pla intiff-Appe lla

nt R obe rt Irish file d suit in C a lifornia sta te c ourt a ga inst M a g nusse n Hom e Furnishings, Inc . Irish a lle g e d tha t M a g nusse n wrongfully te rm inate d his e m

p l oym e nt in viola

tion of C a lifornia ’ s Fa ir Em ploy m e nt a nd 

# FIL ED N OV 29 2019 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public a t ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by Ninth C irc uit R

ule 36-3.Housing Ac t (“ FEHA” ) and the public polic y e m bodie d in FEHA. Irish a l so a lle ge d tha

t M a gnusse n fa ile d to pa

y him e arne d inc e n tive c om m issions a

n d sought
an a c c o unting of M a gnusse n ’ s re c o rds to a s c e rta in the am ount of c om m issions
owe d. Afte r re m ova l to fe de ra l c ourt, the distric t c o urt gra nte d M a gnusse n’ s m otion for sum

m a ry judgm e nt on thegrounds tha t Irish wa s a

n inde pe nde nt c ontra c tor a s a

m a tte r of la

w a nd tha t only e m ploy e e s c o uld bring the

c la im s Irish
a sse rte d. W e a ffirm
. Whe the r a

n individual is a

n e m ploy e e or inde pe nde nt c ontra c tor is a que stion of la

w unle ss the de te rm ination depe nds upon a disputeof m a te ria l fa c t . S.G. Bore llo &Sons, Inc . v . De p’t of Indus. Re l

ations , 769 P.2d 399, 403 (C a l. 1989). No m a t e ria l fa c ts a re dispute d he re . Irish se t his own sc he dule , pa id him se lf out of his c om

pa ny ’ s funds, owne d m ost of thee q u ipm e nt he use d, wa s pe rm itte d to work for othe r e m ploy e rs at the sa

m e tim e he worke d for M a gnusse n, and wa s ne ve r issue d W -2 taxform s. Ta ke n toge the r, the se fa c ts show tha t Irish
wa s a n inde pe nde nt c ontra c tor. Se eBore llo , 769 P.2d a t 404; s e e also Ale

x ande r v . Fe dEx Ground Pack

a ge Sy s ., Inc
. , 765 F.3d 981, 988 (9th C ir. 2014) (e xpla ining that right to c ontrol is the

princ i pa l te st in e va luating a n individual’ s e m

ploy m e nt sta tus).

2B e c a

use Irish wa s an inde pe nde nt c ontra c tor a s a m atte r of la

w, a nd FEHA prote c tion is only av a ila

ble to e m ploy e e s, sum

m ary judgm e nt wa s a

ppropria te on his FEHA c la im s. S

e e Estrada v . C

i ty of Los Ange le

s , 159 C a l. R

ptr. 3d 843, 846 (C a l. C t. App. 2013); Sistare -Me y e r v . Young Me n’s C

hristian Ass’n , 67 C a l. R

ptr. 2d 840, 845 (C a l. C t. App. 1997). It follows tha t Irish is not entitle d to punitive dam a ge s on those c l a im s. Irish is a lso not e ntitle d to e arne d inc e ntive c om m issions unde r C a lifornia

La bor C ode se c tions 201 to 204, whic h a p ply only to e m ploy e e s. Irish’ s a c c ounting c la im , whic h wa s e ntire ly ba se d on the fa ilure to pa y e arne d inc e ntive c o m

m i ssions c la im , the re by a lso ne c e ssa rily fa i ls. AFFIRM E D.

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