Depina v. FedEx Ground Package System, Inc.
- Thompson
- 3:23-cv-00156
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Depina v. FedEx Ground, Judge Thompson granted FedEx Ground’s motion to seal location information in one exhibit, leaving a random-number column public.
FedEx Ground may file specified location-identifying information under seal; public access to those portions of Exhibit A is restricted, while the random-number column remains public. Clara Depina and others involved in the class-certification dispute are affected because the sealed exhibit relates to FedEx Ground’s opposition to class certification.
What happened
Depina v. FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. is a case brought by Clara Depina on behalf of herself and others similarly situated. The order addresses FedEx Ground’s request to file one document under seal.
FedEx Ground sought to seal parts of Exhibit A to Omar M. Aniff’s declaration. The requested information included a facility name, an FXG number, an address, a city, and a ZIP code. FedEx Ground said its worksites were restricted and that revealing location information could create security and safety risks.
Judge Trina L. Thompson granted the request. The listed location-identifying columns in Exhibit A may be filed under seal, but the random-number column must remain part of the public record.
The detailed version
- Depina v. FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. · No. 3:23-cv-00156
- Thompson
- July 26, 2024
Background
Clara Depina brought this case on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated against FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., and other named defendants. The complaint was filed on November 18, 2022. This order concerns FedEx Ground’s administrative motion to file one document under seal.
Information FedEx Ground Sought to Seal
FedEx Ground asked to seal Exhibit A to the declaration of Omar M. Aniff. The requested sealed material consisted of the entire document’s columns identifying a facility name, FXG number, address, city, and ZIP code. The random-number column was to remain public.
FedEx Ground’s supporting materials stated that its California worksites were restricted and not open to the public. FedEx Ground asserted that keeping the location-identifying information sealed would help protect employees and other people from injury or harm and prevent disclosure that could be used to breach its security measures. It also said the sealed filing would allow it to submit evidence referring to a random identification number in support of its opposition to Depina’s class-certification motion without revealing actual location information.
Ruling
The court determined that there was a compelling reason to file Exhibit A under seal. Judge Trina L. Thompson therefore granted FedEx Ground’s administrative motion to file one document under seal. The random-number column was required to remain part of the public record.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.