Opinion ID: 783542
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Was Or Should Have Been Litigated In The Prior Action

Text: 63 The central purpose of claim preclusion is to prevent the relitigating of issues that were or could have been raised in [a prior] action. Federated Dep't Stores, Inc., v. Moitie, 452 U.S. 394, 398, 101 S.Ct. 2424, 69 L.Ed.2d 103 (1981). The district court determined that Mitchell could have brought his Title VII, FMLA, 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Fourteenth Amendment, and KCRA claims in Mitchell I. The record supports the district court's finding. 64 It is undisputed that Mitchell was aware of all of the facts giving rise to his claims at the time he filed Mitchell I. Indeed, Mitchell expressly alleged disability discrimination 12 and violations of the FMLA in both his Grievance and his EEO charge filed prior to Mitchell I. (J.A., 42, 160.) 65 In an effort to explain his failure to assert all of his potential claims, Mitchell alleges he refrained from filing a FMLA action in Mitchell I because that claim was the subject of the Grievance. 13 As the district court noted, Mitchell fails to cite any provision of the CBA requiring him to submit FMLA claims to binding arbitration prior to initiating a civil action. (J.A., 33.) Assuming arguendo, that the CBA mandates binding arbitration, it is well-established that the CBA must contain a clear and unmistakable waiver of Mitchell's FMLA rights to foreclose his entitlement to a judicial forum. See Bratten v. SSI Servs., Inc., 185 F.3d 625, 631-632 (6th Cir.1999) (citing Wright v. Universal Maritime Serv. Corp., 525 U.S. 70, 82, 119 S.Ct. 391, 142 L.Ed.2d 361 (1998)); Plumley v. Southern Container, Inc., 303 F.3d 364 (1st Cir.2002) (applying the clear and unmistakable waiver standard to FMLA claims); Rogers v. New York University, 220 F.3d 73 (2d Cir.2000) (same). Mitchell fails to demonstrate any provision of the CBA containing a clear and unmistakable waiver of his statutory claims. Consequently, Mitchell fails to provide a sufficient justification for failing to file his statutory claims. 14