Court Opinion

ID: 9926979
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-25 22:06:17.268883+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:30.397958
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

              COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

JAMES    G.    LIPSCOMB                                                            NO.        2023 CW       1173

VERSUS

STATE    OF    LOUISIANA THROUGH                                                  JANUARY          18,     2024
THE    DEPARTMENT         OF
TRANSPORTATION &               DEVELOPMENT

In Re:          State          of      Louisiana,                through          the        Department            of
                Transportation                   and             Development,                applying             for
                supervisory               writs,         19th        Judicial            District           Court,
                Parish of East Baton Rouge,                          No.     667307.

BEFORE:         GUIDRY,        C.J., WELCH,             CHUTZ,       LANIER . AND WOLFE,              JJ.

        WRIT    GRANTED.            The     trial       court's          August     16,        2023      judgment
denying        the    exception            of    prescription               filed       by     the    State        of
Louisiana,           through           the        Department               of      Transportation                and
Development,          is       reversed.             Louisiana          Revised      Statute          23: 303 (D)
expressly       provides          that      the       one- year      prescription              applicable          to
claims    filed       pursuant         to      the    Louisiana          Employment           Discrimination
Act      shall         be "       suspended             during             the     pendency              of      any
administrative            review or            investigation"              and    shall      last     no    longer
than    six months.              The      effect       of    a     suspension       of       prescription          is
provided       in    La.       C.C.    art.          3472,       which     states "[         t]he     period       of
suspension           is    not        counted          toward         accrual           of     prescription.
Prescription          commences           to    run     again       upon     the    termination             of   the
period    of    suspension."                Thus,       plaintiff          had,     at    most,       18    months
from     the    occurrence             forming         the        basis      of    his       claim       to      file
suit.     Briggs          v.   Florida          Juvenile          Justice        Commission,          2017-1189
 La.    App.    1st       Cir.      3/12/18),          244       So.3d     438.     Plaintiff's             claims
regarding       his       alleged      demotion          on      June      15,    2016,      and     his    claims
for    failure       to    promote          in       August        2016,     prescribed          on      December
15,     2017     and       February            28,     2018,        respectively.                     Plaintiff
filed    this    action         on March         15,    2018.        Therefore,          those       claims       are
prescribed       under         the    statute.           We      hereby      grant       the    exception          of
prescription              filed       by        State         of     Louisiana,              Department            of
Transportation             and        Development             for       plaintiff's            claims         which
occurred prior to September 15,                          2016.

                                                             WRC
                                                             WIL
                                                              EW

        Guidry,       C .J.         and     Welch,       J.,        dissent        and       would    deny       the
writ.

COURT    OF APPEAL,            FIRST CIRCUIT

       DEPUTY    CLERK OF           COURT
              FOR THE      COURT