Jones v. Royal-TL, Inc.

Background

Clay Lee Jones sued Royal-TL, Inc., individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated. The order refers to the website involved in the action and to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law addressing access to public accommodations for people with disabilities. The opinion does not describe the complaint’s specific allegations or claims in detail.

Settlement directive

The Court ordered the parties to meet and confer for at least one hour, in good faith, within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint on Royal-TL. They must attempt to settle the action. During those discussions, the parties were directed to consider whether Jones has satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning a sufficient personal connection to bring the case. They were also directed to consider whether the website is a “standalone website”—a business website without a physical location—and whether such a website is a “place of public accommodation” under Title III. The Court cited decisions from the Southern District of New York addressing those issues but did not decide them here.

If the parties cannot settle on their own, they must also discuss whether further settlement discussions through the Court’s mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive.

Joint letter and response deadline

Within 15 additional days—45 days after service of the summons and complaint—the parties must submit a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not settle, the letter must request either referral to mediation or a settlement conference before a magistrate judge, with a preference between those options, or an initial status conference. The letter must also state whether Royal-TL intends to answer or move to dismiss the complaint. If Royal-TL expects to move to dismiss, it must briefly describe the anticipated basis in no more than one paragraph.

The Court stayed Royal-TL’s deadline to answer or otherwise respond to the complaint while the parties complete this process. After the joint letter is filed, the Court will set either a deadline for Royal-TL to answer or a briefing schedule for a motion to dismiss.

Disposition and significance

This is a case-management and settlement order. Judge Margaret M. Garnett did not rule on standing, whether the website qualifies as a place of public accommodation, or the merits of Jones’s claims. The order also directed counsel who had appeared to serve the order and the Court’s Individual Rules and Practices on counsel or parties who had not appeared, and to file proof of that notice.