Court Opinion

ID: 9488344
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 12:42:22.029564+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:52:49.653631
License: Public Domain

NATHANIEL R. JONES, Circuit Judge,
dissenting in part.
I disagree with the majority on the equitable tolling issue. The district court did not err in finding that equitable tolling was appropriate in this case, and thus, I do not find it necessary to remand this issue to the district court.
This court reviews a district court’s application of the doctrine of equitable tolling de novo. Rose v. Dole, 945 F.2d 1331, 1334 (6th Cir.1991). The majority has decided to remand the issue of equitable tolling to the district court so that it may make a factual finding with respect to the mental state of Cantrell’s attorney. Maj. Op. at 1180. The majority finds that this is necessary because the district court inappropriately took judicial notice of the mental state of Cantrell’s attorney. Id. I respectfully disagree.
KCDC argued in its motion to dismiss that Cantrell’s failure to file his EEOC claim within 180 days of his discharge barred his claim. In denying this motion the district court stated the following:
In the instant case, Mr. Cantrell sought advice of counsel in the month of his discharge. He claims his attorney, W.P. Boone Dougherty, completed a claim on his behalf and led him to believe it had been filed. He claims he repeatedly called Mr. Dougherty’s office and was told that he had not yet heard from the EEOC. In fact, Mr. Dougherty had neglected to file the claim.
The Court is well aware of Mr. Dougherty’s psychiatric problems and his inability to file documents in a timely fashion. It FINDS, under these unusual circumstances, that Mr. Cantrell acted diligently to protect his rights and that he had no reason to know that his administrative action had not been timely filed. The Court *1182suspects the EEOC made a similar finding, although there is no record of this, when it processed Mr. Cantrell’s claim as if it had been filed within the time limits.
J.A. at 275-76.
Without even determining whether or not it was appropriate for the court to take “judicial notice” of the psychiatric problems of Cantrell’s attorney, it is my view that, if the statement, “The Court is well aware of Mr. Dougherty’s psychiatric problems and his inability to file documents in a timely fashion,” were excised, the record would still reflect an appropriate basis for applying equitable tolling. The record does not reveal that Cantrell’s late filing prejudiced KCDC or that Cantrell exercised bad faith or lacked diligence. See Morgan v. Washington Mfg. Co., 660 F.2d 710, 712 (6th Cir.1981) (holding that equitable tolling is appropriate “in the absence of prejudice to the defendant or a showing of bad faith or lack of diligence by a claimant”)1; see also Andrews v. Orr, 851 F.2d 146, 152 (6th Cir.1988) (holding that where defendant was not prejudiced due to late filing and plaintiffs “acted promptly after becoming aware of the true state of affairs” equitable tolling of filing requirement was appropriate). Instead, the record supports the district court’s conclusion that Cantrell acted diligently to protect his rights.
Furthermore, the district court appropriately took “judicial notice” of Dougherty’s psychiatric problems. In his response to KCDC’s motion to dismiss, Cantrell presented evidence of Dougherty’s letter of July 10, 1991, to Cantrell stating his intention to retire from law practice, and stating that “[a]s you may know, I have been hospitalized recently for treatment for major depression.” J.A. at 250. Additionally, Cantrell also presented two news articles that discussed Dougherty’s battles with mental depression and stress throughout his legal career. J.A. at 245, 246. Clearly, the district court appropriately took judicial notice of a fact “generally known within the territorial jurisdiction of the trial court.” Fed.R.Evid. 201(b).
Finally, in taking judicial notice of Dough-erty’s mental difficulties, the court simply recognized that this was another factor bearing on its determination that equitable tolling was appropriate in this case. The district court neither stated that this mental incapacity actually caused Dougherty’s failure to file Cantrell’s EEOC complaint, nor was it required to make such a finding before it was allowed to either take judicial notice of Dougherty’s general psychiatric problems or apply the doctrine of equitable tolling. The district court appropriately applied equitable tolling in this case.
For the reasons stated, I dissent from the portion of the majority opinion remanding this ease to the district court for further consideration of the equitable tolling issue. I concur in the remainder of the opinion.

. The majority appears to find that this case supports the proposition that the claimant is required to present evidence of his diligence before equitable tolling can be applied. See Maj. Op. at 1180. I do not read Morgan as creating any such burden. Furthermore, Cantrell did present evidence of his diligence. In his sworn affidavit, which was included in his response to KCDC's motion to dismiss, he stated the following:
The week following my dismissal from KCDC I went to see Atty. Boone Dougherty in Knoxville, Tennessee.... During my initial visit at Mr. Dougherty's office a paralegal interviewed me extensively, and later in my discussion with Mr. Dougherty he told me he would file a complaint with the EEOC on my behalf for this incident. Over the course of the summer I called Mr. Dougherty several times and asked him what the EEOC had said, and he told me he had not heard anything yet. It was not until much later, after I had obtained other counsel, that I realized that Mr. Dough-erty had not filed the complaint in a timely manner.
J.A. at 247-48. Cantrell further presented evidence of some notes of Dougherty's secretary to her boss, including one dated August 13, 1990 that stated that “Jerry called about these papers — he has called many times.” J.A. at 251. KCDC, on the other hand, has not indicated that they were prejudiced by the late filing, or that the late filing was made in bad faith or due to a lack of diligence on Cantrell’s part.