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Matusick v. Erie County Water Authority

757 F.3d 31 (2014)

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Matusick v. Erie County Water Authority

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
757 F.3d 31 (2014)

  • Written by Mike Begovic, JD

Facts

Scott Matusick (plaintiff), a White man, was employed by the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) (defendant) in 2004, when he began dating an African American coworker, Anita Starks. Matusick and Starks became serious and soon were engaged. In 2005 Starks moved into Matusick’s house, and they married in 2009. Throughout their relationship, Matusick formed a close relationship with Starks’s children. Matusick’s coworkers, including his supervisors and the director of the ECWA, eventually became aware of Matusick and Starks’s relationship. Matusick was repeatedly harassed, berated, and threatened by his coworkers because of his relationship with Starks. This harassment included repeated use of racial slurs and racially charged language. Matusick reported this conduct to supervisors but never filed a complaint with human resources. Matusick filed a complaint against the ECWA and 10 individuals who worked for the ECWA in district court, bringing numerous claims, including a § 1983 claim for a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendment right of association. Most of these claims went to trial. The jury found for Matusick on several claims against the ECWA, including § 1983 claims for violation of the right to intimate association. The EWCA appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Sack, J.)

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