Judge: Kevin C. Brazile, Case: 24STCV31866, Date: 2025-04-23 Tentative Ruling

Hearing Date: April 23, 2025

Case Name: Conn v. Beck, et al.

Case No.: 24STCV11544  

Matter: (1) Motions to Compel (2x)

(2) Motions to Deem Admitted (2x)

Moving Party: Defendants Scott Beck and Cecilia Hayes  

Responding Party: Plaintiff Lanordo Conn

Notice: OK

Ruling: The Motions to Compel are granted.

The Motions to Deem Admitted are denied without prejudice.  The 

Court will instead compel responses, without objections, within 10 days.

Moving party to give notice.

The Court encourages all parties to appear remotely via LA CourtConnect.  If submitting on the Court's tentative ruling, please follow the instructions provided above.

This is an employment action.  On September 5, 2024, Plaintiff Lanordo Conn, who is represented by Suzanne E. Rand-Lewis, filed the operative First Amended Complaint (“FAC”) against Defendants Scott Beck and Cecilia Hayes for (1) breach of express contract, (2) wrongful termination, (3) FEHA discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, (4) failure to provide reasonable accommodations, (5) concealment, and (6) IIED.  

Defendants Scott Beck and Cecilia Hayes now seek to deem admitted their requests for admission propounded on Plaintiff.  Hayes also seeks to compel initial responses to her special and form interrogatories propounded on Plaintiff.  The basis for the four Motions is that Plaintiff only asserted blanket objections in one paragraph.

Plaintiff argues that the instant Motions are actually improper motions to compel further responses.

Plaintiff did not properly respond to the subject discovery by providing separate responses.  Rather, Plaintiff served omnibus objections in one paragraph.  This is totally inappropriate and warrants sanctions.

The Motions to Compel as to interrogatories are granted.  Responses, without objections, are to be provided within 10 days.

The Motions to Deem Admitted are denied without prejudice.  In the exercise of the Court’s discretion, the Court will instead compel responses, without objections, as to the requests for admission within 10 days.  

The Court awards sanctions against Rand-Lewis in the reduced amount of $1,200.

Moving party to give notice.