Chamberlain v. Splashlight, LLC

Background

Lucas Cone Chamberlain brings this action without a lawyer under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State and New York City Human Rights Laws. He alleges that his former employer discriminated against him because of his sex. The defendants are Splashlight, LLC, Michaela Krebs, and Bijou Summers.

The court had previously granted Chamberlain permission to proceed without prepaying filing fees, a status commonly called proceeding in forma pauperis. The opinion states that a plaintiff with that status may rely on the court and the United States Marshals Service to complete service of the summons and complaint.

Court’s Action

The court directed the Clerk of Court to complete a United States Marshals Service Process Receipt and Return form for each defendant, issue the summonses, and deliver the required documents to the Marshals Service for service. The listed service address for each defendant was 75 Varick Street, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10013.

The court extended the service deadline to 90 days after the summonses are issued because Chamberlain could not serve the summonses and complaint before the court reviewed the complaint and ordered the summonses issued. The court stated that Chamberlain should request an extension if service is not completed within that period. It also required him to notify the court in writing of any address change and stated that the action may be dismissed if he fails to do so.

Disposition and Scope

The order directs the Clerk of Court to issue the summonses and arrange service through the United States Marshals Service. It does not decide the merits of Chamberlain’s sex-discrimination allegations or state whether any defendant violated the cited laws. The court also directed the Clerk to mail Chamberlain an information package.