Plaintiff Can't Pursue Negligence Claim in Federal Discrimination Action

VALDOSTA, Ga. - A federal court has declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over an asbestos plaintiff's state-law negligence claim, saying that the claim does not arise from the same factual scenario as plaintiff's federal employment discrimination claims. Williams v. Packaging Corporation of America, No. 06-111 (M.D. Ga.).

In a May 18 order dismissing Matthew Williams' negligence claim for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, Judge Hugh Lawson of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia said the claim revolves around Williams' alleged exposure to asbestos fibers in Packaging Corporation of America's carpentry shop, while his discrimination claims center …