Opinion ID: 698434
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Stone's California FEHA Claim is Preempted by ERISA

Text: 15 Stone's claim under California's FEHA mirrors his claim under the ADEA. He states that he was discriminated against by not being permitted to have his severance benefits paid as part of a pension, as those over 55 were able to do. There is no doubt that Travelers' pension plan is an ERISA plan under 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1002(2) (defining employee pension benefit plan as any plan that provides retirement income to employees). There is also no doubt that a plan for payment of accrued severance benefits is also an ERISA plan. Scott v. Gulf Oil Corp., 754 F.2d 1499, 1502-1504 (9th Cir.1985). 16 State law claims are preempted by ERISA if they relate to an ERISA plan. 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1144(a). Stone's claim under the California FEHA clearly relates to the ERISA plans in the most direct way; his claim is founded in the denial of benefits to which he claims he is entitled under those plans. Accordingly, his FEHA claim is preempted. See Shaw v. Delta Air Lines, Inc., 463 U.S. 85, 96-97, 103 S.Ct. 2890, 2899-2900, 77 L.Ed.2d 490 (1983) (state law claim that health benefits plan discriminated on account of sex is preempted by ERISA); Champion Int'l Corp. v. Brown, 731 F.2d 1406, 1408-09 (9th Cir.1984) (state law claim of age discrimination in pension plan preempted by ERISA). 17