Opinion ID: 456029
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Columbia Joint Venture Claims

Text: 13 Wards and Castle operate Columbia as a joint venture. Earlier in these proceedings, we affirmed the dismissal of Title VII claims against Columbia because they were not filed within the prescribed time limits and were, therefore, time-barred. See Atonio v. Wards Cove Packing Co., Inc., 703 F.2d 329, 332 (9th Cir.1983). Appellants now assert that dismissal of the claims against the joint venture for procedural reasons does not affect the liability of the joint venturers as to those claims. Therefore, argue appellants, because they could have sued either or both of the joint venturers without suing the joint venture, the Title VII claims against Columbia can be asserted against Wards and Castle, both of which were timely sued on separate discrimination charges. 14 We have no trouble agreeing that general common law agency principles, including joint and several liability, are applicable in Title VII cases. So too, however, are basic procedural and jurisdictional principles applicable. The controlling fact here, which appellants ignore, is that the Title VII claims against Columbia were not filed in time to grant jurisdiction. Nor were they ever filed against Wards or Castle in their capacity as joint venturers for Columbia. The claims were properly dismissed as untimely, and they simply no longer exist. Appellants cannot now evade the jurisdictional prerequisites by bringing these claims in through the back door.