Case Explained: Summary Calendar Reginald Grant Plaintiff— v. Amazon.com Services, L.L.C Defendant—

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-25 The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of Reginald Grant’s employment-related claims against Amazon with prejudice and denied his motion to amend the complaint. The court held that Grant’s Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), breach of contract, and fraud claims were barred by res judicata because they had already been litigated or could have been raised in prior federal and state court proceedings involving the same parties and nucleus of operative facts. Regarding his remaining common-law claims, the court affirmed that intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED) and defamation claims were preempted by Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code, which provides the exclusive remedy for workplace discrimination, and noted that the IIED claim also failed to allege conduct “extreme and outrageous” as required under Texas law. The defamation claim was additionally dismissed as untimely under Texas’s one-year statute of limitations. Claims for “loss of use” and “loss of enjoyment” were affirmed as not cognizable standalone causes of action under Texas law. Finally, the court found no abuse of discretion in denying leave to amend due to Grant’s undue delay, bad faith, and the futility of amendment given that his claims were already barred by res judicata and state law. The judgment of the district court remains in effect, ending the litigation. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.