Case: EEOC v. DALLAS MORNING NEWS LP and BELO CORP

3:02-cv-01262 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Filed Date: June 17, 2002

Closed Date: Sept. 19, 2003

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

In June 2002, the Houston District Office of the EEOC brought this suit against Dallas Morning News, L.P. and Belo Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the defendants allegedly retaliated against the charging party, a female employee, because she filed charges of race discrimination by disciplining her, threatening her, and eventually terminating her. …

In June 2002, the Houston District Office of the EEOC brought this suit against Dallas Morning News, L.P. and Belo Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the defendants allegedly retaliated against the charging party, a female employee, because she filed charges of race discrimination by disciplining her, threatening her, and eventually terminating her. After some discovery and scheduling orders, the parties settled through a consent decree in September 2003.

The one-year decree, containing non-discrimination and non-retaliation clauses, required the defendants to: provide the charging party with a neutral employment reference, expunge her file of all references to the discrimination charges, post a nondiscrimination notice, and provide anti-retaliation training to the supervisors of the charging party's former work group. In addition, the defendants agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of monetary relief to the charging party.

Summary Authors

Kevin Wilemon (6/19/2007)

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

3:02-cv-01262

Docket (PACER)

EEOC v. Dallas Morning News, et al

Sept. 19, 2003

Sept. 19, 2003

Docket
1

3:02-cv-01262

Original Complaint

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Dallas Morning News, L.P.

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

Complaint
5

3:02-cv-01262

First Amended Complaint

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Belo Corp. and Dallas Morning News, L.P.

Aug. 19, 2002

Aug. 19, 2002

Complaint
38

3:02-cv-01262

Consent Decree

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Belo Corp. and Dallas Morning News, L.P.

Sept. 19, 2003

Sept. 19, 2003

Settlement Agreement

Resources

Docket

Last updated March 20, 2024, 3:15 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

ORIGINAL COMPLAINT filed. (usa/no fee) (5) (cxb) (Entered: 06/18/2002)

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

2

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PERSONS by plaintiff EEOC. (1) (cxb) (Entered: 06/18/2002)

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

3

SUMMONS(ES) issued for defendant Dallas Morning News. (iss-1) (cxb) (Entered: 06/18/2002)

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

PRELIMINARY ASSIGNMENT TO Magistrate Judge Wm F Sanderson Jr (cxb) (Entered: 06/18/2002)

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

DEMAND for Trial by Jury by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (aat, ) (Entered: 05/06/2003)

June 17, 2002

June 17, 2002

4

RETURN OF SERVICE executed as to defendant Dallas Morning News 6/24/02 Answer due on 7/15/02 for Dallas Morning News (1) (jrb) (Entered: 08/07/2002)

Aug. 5, 2002

Aug. 5, 2002

5

First AMENDED COMPLAINT by plaintiff EEOC , amending [1-1] complaint against Belo Corp (6) (jrb) (Entered: 08/20/2002)

Aug. 19, 2002

Aug. 19, 2002

7

RETURN OF SERVICE executed as to defendant Belo Corp 9/6/02 Answer due on 9/26/02 for Belo Corp...by delivering to paralegal. (2) (jrb) (Entered: 09/10/2002)

Sept. 9, 2002

Sept. 9, 2002

8

Original ANSWER to Complaint by defendant Dallas Morning News, defendant Belo Corp (Attorney Robert E Sheeder, Barry Sander Hersh), (7) (jrb) (Entered: 09/27/2002)

Sept. 26, 2002

Sept. 26, 2002

9

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PERSONS by defendant Dallas Morning News, defendant Belo Corp (2) (jrb) (Entered: 09/27/2002)

Sept. 26, 2002

Sept. 26, 2002

10

ORDER Requiring Attorney Conference and Status Report...this conference shall take place no later than 10/15/02...within 14 days from the date of the conference, the parties shall submit a status report...see order for specifics. ( Signed by Judge Sam A. Lindsay ) Copies to counsel: 9/30/002 Page(s) 3 (jrb) (Entered: 09/30/2002)

Sept. 30, 2002

Sept. 30, 2002

11

Joint STATUS REPORT by plaintiff EEOC, defendant Dallas Morning News, defendant Belo Corp (6) (jrb) (Entered: 10/16/2002)

Oct. 15, 2002

Oct. 15, 2002

12

SCHEDULING ORDER setting Bench trial set for 2/2/04 ; Joining of Parties on 1/2/03 ; Amending of Pleadings on 1/2/03 ; Deadline for filing of dispositive motions 11/3/03 ; Discovery cutoff 10/3/03 ; Pretrial materials due on 1/12/04 Pretrial conference for 11:00 1/30/04 ; Proposed pretrial order due 1/12/04 ; ( Signed by Judge Sam A. Lindsay ) Copies to counsel: 10/25/02 Page(s): 9 (jrb) (Entered: 10/25/2002)

Oct. 25, 2002

Oct. 25, 2002

13

ORDER referring case to ADR; ADR provider; Type of ADR: mediation Requested by: court...due 6/30/03. ( Signed by Judge Sam A. Lindsay ) Copies to counsel: 10/25/02 Page(s): 2 (jrb) (Entered: 10/25/2002)

Oct. 25, 2002

Oct. 25, 2002

14

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PERSONS by plaintiff EEOC (2) (jrb) (Entered: 11/19/2002)

Nov. 18, 2002

Nov. 18, 2002

15

SPECIAL ORDER NO. 3-222. Effective 11/25/02, the cases listed on Exhibit A attached to this order are transferred from the docket of Honorable Sam A. Lindsay to the docket of Honorable Ed Kinkeade and shall henceforth carry the suffix letter "K". ( Signed by Chief Judge A. J. Fish ) Copies to counsel: 11/25/02 Page(s): 3 (aat) (Entered: 11/25/2002)

Nov. 25, 2002

Nov. 25, 2002

16

MOTION by defendant Dallas Morning News, defendant Belo Corp for protective order (15+) (Exhibits not imaged) (aat) (Entered: 01/23/2003)

Jan. 22, 2003

Jan. 22, 2003

17

ORDER REGARDING TRANSITION. All existing scheduling orders, trial settings and referrals to magistrate judges are adopted and remain in full force and effect. Counsel are directed to confer and file a joint status report with the Court no later than 14 days after the date of this order. See order for specifics. ( Signed by Judge Ed Kinkeade) Copies to counsel: 2/4/03 Page(s): 3 (aat) (Entered: 02/04/2003)

Feb. 3, 2003

Feb. 3, 2003

18

RESPONSE by plaintiff EEOC in opposition to [16-1] motion for protective order (15+) (Exhibits not imaged) (aat) (Entered: 02/11/2003)

Feb. 10, 2003

Feb. 10, 2003

20

REPLY to Response to Motion re 16 Motion for Protective Order filed by Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P.. (aat, ) (Entered: 02/24/2003)

Feb. 21, 2003

Feb. 21, 2003

21

MOTION for Leave to File surreply regarding defendant's motion for protective order by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (aat, ) (Entered: 02/28/2003)

Feb. 28, 2003

Feb. 28, 2003

22

SUBPOENA Returned Executed as to Dr. Samuel Chantilis on 2/17/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 03/04/2003)

March 3, 2003

March 3, 2003

23

SUBPOENA Returned Executed as to Dr. Johnny Lee Henry on 2/17/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 03/04/2003)

March 3, 2003

March 3, 2003

24

JOINT SETTLEMENT STATUS REPORT by Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (aat, ) (Entered: 03/05/2003)

March 4, 2003

March 4, 2003

25

Proof of Service for subpoena served on Custodian of Records for DISD on 3/24/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 04/01/2003)

March 31, 2003

March 31, 2003

26

Proof of Service for subpoena served on Custodian of Payroll for DISD on 3/24/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 04/01/2003)

March 31, 2003

March 31, 2003

27

NOTICE of appearance of co-counsel by Jason Edward Winford on behalf of Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P. (aat, ) (Entered: 04/28/2003)

April 25, 2003

April 25, 2003

28

PROOF of service for subpoena served on Custodian of Records for University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas on 4/30/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 05/06/2003)

May 5, 2003

May 5, 2003

29

PROOF of service for subpoena served on Custodian of Records for St. Paul Medical Center on 4/30/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 05/06/2003)

May 5, 2003

May 5, 2003

Per 10/25/02 scheduling order, docket call set for 2/4/2004 before Ed Kinkeade. (aat, ) (Entered: 05/06/2003)

May 6, 2003

May 6, 2003

30

AFFIDAVIT of Service for subpoena served on Wendy Jackson on 5/28/03. (aat, ) (Entered: 06/13/2003)

June 12, 2003

June 12, 2003

31

JOINT MOTION to Amend 13 mediation order by Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (aat, ) (Entered: 06/19/2003)

June 18, 2003

June 18, 2003

32

JOINT MOTION for entry of Protective Order by Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (aat, ) (Entered: 06/19/2003)

June 18, 2003

June 18, 2003

33

ORDER granting 31 joint Motion to Amend/Correct mediation order. The parties now have until 8/31/03 to conduct mediation. (Signed by Judge Ed Kinkeade on 6/26/03) (aat, ) (Entered: 06/27/2003)

June 26, 2003

June 26, 2003

34

ORDER granting 32 joint Motion for entry of Protective Order. (Signed by Judge Ed Kinkeade on 6/26/03) (aat, ) (Entered: 06/27/2003)

June 26, 2003

June 26, 2003

36

Order Directing Administrative Closure. Dismissal papers are due by 9/15/03. (Signed by Judge Ed Kinkeade on 8/18/03) (aat, ) (Entered: 08/19/2003)

Aug. 18, 2003

Aug. 18, 2003

37

JOINT MOTION to approve and enter a consent decree in resolution of suit by Belo Corp, Dallas Morning News, L.P., Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (aat, ) (Entered: 09/05/2003)

Sept. 4, 2003

Sept. 4, 2003

38

CONSENT DECREE See order for specifics. (Signed by Judge Ed Kinkeade on 9/19/03) (aat, ) (Entered: 09/22/2003)

Sept. 19, 2003

Sept. 19, 2003

Case Details

State / Territory: Texas

Case Type(s):

Equal Employment

Special Collection(s):

EEOC Study — in sample

IWPR/Wage Project Consent Decree Study

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: June 17, 2002

Closing Date: Sept. 19, 2003

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, on behalf of one or more workers.

Plaintiff Type(s):

EEOC Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

EEOC

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Dallas Morning News, L.P. (Dallas, TX), Private Entity/Person

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Monetary Relief

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Damages

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 2003 - 2004

Content of Injunction:

Expungement of Employment Record

Neutral/Positive Reference

Discrimination Prohibition

Retaliation Prohibition

Post/Distribute Notice of Rights / EE Law

Provide antidiscrimination training

Reporting

Issues

General:

Retaliation

Discrimination-area:

Disparate Treatment

Discharge / Constructive Discharge / Layoff

Discipline

Discrimination-basis:

Race discrimination

EEOC-centric:

Direct Suit on Merits