Court Opinion

ID: 9367416
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-31 19:00:33.357586+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:16:00.101866
License: Public Domain

Case: 22-20457        Document: 00516629105            Page: 1      Date Filed: 01/31/2023

             United States Court of Appeals
                  for the Fifth Circuit                                       United States Court of Appeals
                                                                                       Fifth Circuit

                                                                                     FILED
                                                                              January 31, 2023
                                      No. 22-20457
                                    Summary Calendar                            Lyle W. Cayce
                                                                                     Clerk

   Ogochukwo J. Okwo,

                                                                   Plaintiff—Appellant,

                                            versus

   Houston Methodist The Woodlands; CARCO Group,
   Incorporated, doing business as PreCheck,

                                                                Defendants—Appellees.

                     Appeal from the United States District Court
                         for the Southern District of Texas
                              USDC No. 4:21-CV-4063

   Before Smith, Southwick, and Douglas, Circuit Judges.
   Per Curiam:*
         Ogochukwo J. Okwo, a pro se litigant, appeals the district court’s
   dismissal of his claims against Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
   and against CARCO Group, Inc., doing business as PreCheck.                             We
   AFFIRM.

         *
             This opinion is not designated for publication. See 5th Cir. R. 47.5.
Case: 22-20457      Document: 00516629105          Page: 2    Date Filed: 01/31/2023

                                    No. 22-20457

          On November 2, 2020, Okwo received an offer of employment from
   Houston Methodist, conditional on the “successful completion of a criminal
   and education background check,” which was completed through PreCheck,
   Inc., a records search provider. Using the information provided by Okwo,
   PreCheck located a record of a felony charge against Okwo filed in Harris
   County, Texas, for “Assault Family Violence-2nd Offender.” The final
   disposition of the charge was “dismissed.” PreCheck provided a report to
   Houston Methodist about the charge, including its dismissal. Houston
   Methodist rescinded the offer of employment.
          Okwo sued, alleging that PreCheck and Houston Methodist violated
   various provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”); that
   PreCheck libeled him; and that Houston Methodist violated Title VII of the
   Civil Rights Act of 1964. The district court dismissed Okwo’s claims in his
   amended complaint for failure to state a claim under Federal Rule of Civil
   Procedure 12(b)(6).
          Rule 12(b)(6) provides for dismissal of a complaint if a plaintiff fails
   “to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.” This court reviews de
   novo a district court’s decision to grant a motion to dismiss. Turner v.
   Pleasant, 663 F.3d 770, 775 (5th Cir. 2011). “[A] complaint must contain
   sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is
   plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quoting
   Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007)).
          The district court dismissed Okwo’s claims under the FCRA against
   Houston Methodist because he failed to allege that Houston Methodist is a
   “consumer reporting agency” under 15 U.S.C. § 1681d(d)(3) and did not
   follow disclosure requirements under Section 1681b. The district court
   dismissed the FCRA claims against PreCheck for failure to allege that
   PreCheck did not verify the accuracy of its report before furnishing it under

                                          2
Case: 22-20457        Document: 00516629105              Page: 3      Date Filed: 01/31/2023

                                         No. 22-20457

   Section 1681d(d)(3) 1; that PreCheck was negligent in its preparation of the
   report; that PreCheck failed to investigate and update his report under
   Section 1681i(a); and how any failure to receive a description of the
   procedures to prepare the report would result in damages under 1681i(a)(7)
   given the report’s accuracy.
           We agree with both dismissals. Okwo does not appear to challenge
   the district court’s dismissal of his FCRA claims under Sections 1681b,
   1681h(e), 1681k(a)(1), nor his libel claim under Section 73.001 of the Texas
   Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Those arguments are therefore waived.
   United States v. Martinez, 263 F.3d 436, 438 (5th Cir. 2001).
           Okwo also alleges that Houston Methodist violated Title VII of the
   Civil Rights Act of 1964 by withdrawing, or causing the withdrawal of, the
   employment offer. A plaintiff does “not have to submit evidence to establish
   a prima facie case of discrimination at this stage,” but he must “plead
   sufficient facts on all of the ultimate elements of a disparate treatment claim
   to make his case plausible.” Chhim v. Univ. of Tex. at Austin, 836 F.3d 467,
   470 (5th Cir. 2016). To state a prima facie case of discrimination, a plaintiff
   must plead facts showing that he: “(1) is a member of a protected group; (2)
   was qualified for the position at issue; (3) was discharged or suffered some
   adverse employment action by the employer; and (4) was replaced by
   someone outside his protected group or was treated less favorably than other
   similarly situated employees outside the protected group.” McCoy v. City of
   Shreveport, 492 F.3d 551, 556 (5th Cir. 2007). Although Okwo alleges he was

           1
             Okwo argues that the district court erred when it stated that PreCheck had
   verified the report “within 30 days after furnishing it,” rather than “during the 30-day
   period ending on the date on which the report is furnished,” as the statute requires. §
   1681d(d)(3). That error notwithstanding, the district court had previously correctly quoted
   the statute and stated that PreCheck quickly “rechecked” the report after Okwo’s inquiry
   to confirm it originally described the charge as “dismissed.”

                                               3
Case: 22-20457     Document: 00516629105           Page: 4   Date Filed: 01/31/2023

                                    No. 22-20457

   discriminated against because he is black and from Nigeria, he fails to allege
   any facts with regard to the fourth element. Accordingly, Okwo has failed to
   state a claim for discrimination against Houston Methodist.
          AFFIRMED.

                                         4