Booker v. Robert Half International, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
413 F.3d 77 (2005)
- Written by Sean Carroll, JD
Facts
Timothy Booker (plaintiff) worked for Robert Half International, Inc. (Robert Half) (defendant). Booker’s employment contract included an arbitration clause, which contained a prohibition on punitive damages. The agreement also contained a severability clause. Booker sued Robert Half for racial discrimination. Robert Half moved to compel arbitration. The District of Columbia Superior Court found that the prohibition on punitive damages violated D.C. law and thus was invalid. The court, however, granted Robert Half’s motion for arbitration, finding that the punitive-damages provision was severable from the remainder of the arbitration clause. Booker appealed, seeking invalidation of the entire arbitration clause. Booker argued on policy grounds that an arbitration clause’s severability in this context would make it so that employers will overreach and insert provisions they know to be of questionable validity, with no real consequences.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Roberts, J.)
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