Scheurer v. Fromn Family Foods LLC

Dist. Ct. did not err in denying defendant’s motion to enforce arbitration clause in employment contract that plaintiff had signed with staffing agency that supplied individuals to defendant under circumstances where plaintiff had filed Title VII sexual harassment and retaliation claims against defendant for conduct plaintiff had experienced with defendant’s employees. Defendant failed to establish any legal basis for enforcing arbitration clause in plaintiff’s agreement with staffing agency, where plaintiff did not bring similar harassment/retaliation claim against staffing agency. Ct. further rejected defendant’s argument that principles of equitable estoppel should compel arbitration, since defendant failed to establish that it had relied on or had any knowledge of arbitration clause at time defendant accepted plaintiff’s assignment from staffing agency.