Gaynor v. Rockefeller, 15 N.Y.2d 120 (1965)
A class action is not maintainable when the alleged wrongs are individual to each person involved, and each person may determine their own remedy, potentially subject to different defenses.
Summary
Four plaintiffs brought a class action against construction unions and state/city officials, alleging racial discrimination in public works projects. They claimed unions excluded Negroes from membership and apprenticeship programs, leading to denial of employment opportunities. The plaintiffs sought injunctive and declaratory relief, compelling officials to enforce anti-discrimination laws and enjoining discriminatory union practices. One plaintiff also asserted a taxpayer action. The Court of Appeals held that the class action was not maintainable because the grievances were individual to each potential claimant. The plaintiffs also had adequate alternative remedies, such as filing complaints with the State Commission for Human Rights.
Facts
Four Negro plaintiffs sued construction unions and public officials, alleging that the unions systematically excluded Negroes from membership and apprenticeship programs based on race. The plaintiffs claimed this discrimination resulted in the denial of employment on public works projects in New York City. They alleged that contractors obtained labor from these discriminatory unions. The only specific grievances mentioned were the denial of membership or apprenticeship to the plaintiffs by two of the defendant unions. There was no allegation that the plaintiffs had been denied employment on any specific project or had complained to the public officials.
Procedural History
The plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction, and the defendants cross-moved to dismiss the complaint. The Special Term denied all motions. The Appellate Division reversed and dismissed the complaint, finding no cause of action against the public officials and failure to join necessary parties (the contractors). The plaintiffs appealed to the New York Court of Appeals.
Issue(s)
1. Whether the plaintiffs had standing to bring a class action on behalf of all Negro citizens allegedly discriminated against by the defendant unions.
2. Whether the discriminatory practices of the unions were chargeable to the defendant public officials.
3. Whether the plaintiffs’ action under General Municipal Law § 51 was legally sufficient to state a claim.
Holding
1. No, because the wrongs asserted were individual to the different persons involved, each of whom could determine their own remedy and potentially face different defenses.
2. No, because the unions are not “organs of the State itself” nor “repositories of official power,” and there was no evidence that the public officials were directly involved or knowingly acquiesced in the discrimination.
3. No, because the complaint did not allege fraud or waste of public property for entirely illegal purposes, and it challenged the administrative discretion of city officials.
Court’s Reasoning
The Court of Appeals reasoned that a class action is inappropriate when the wrongs alleged are individual and distinct to each potential plaintiff. Each person allegedly discriminated against could pursue their own remedy, such as filing a complaint with the State Commission for Human Rights or bringing a damages action under the Civil Rights Law. Each claim might also be subject to unique defenses, making a class action unmanageable. The court quoted Society Milion Athena v. National Bank of Greece, 281 N.Y. 282, 292, stating “Separate wrongs to separate persons, though committed by similar means and even pursuant to a single plan, do not alone create a common or general interest in those who are wronged.”
The court further held that the discriminatory practices of the unions were not chargeable to the state or city, as the unions were not state actors. There was no evidence that state or city officials were directly involved or knowingly acquiesced in the discriminatory practices. The court cited Nixon v. Condon, 286 U.S. 73, 88, stating that the unions are neither “organs of the State itself” nor “repositories of official power.”
The court also found the taxpayer action under General Municipal Law § 51 insufficient because the complaint did not allege fraud or waste of public property for entirely illegal purposes. The court stated, quoting Campbell v. City of New York, 244 N.Y. 317, 328, “The courts do not sit in judgment upon questions of legislative policy or administrative discretion.”
The court emphasized that the plaintiffs had an adequate remedy by way of the State Commission for Human Rights, which has broad powers to eliminate unlawful discriminatory practices. It noted that the Commission had recently issued a cease and desist order against racial discrimination in the apprenticeship program of one of the defendant unions, demonstrating the availability of an effective alternative remedy.