I. C. v. StockX, LLC
Citation19 F.4th 873
Date Filed2021-12-02
Docket21-1089
Cited79 times
StatusPublished
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLICATION
Pursuant to Sixth Circuit I.O.P. 32.1(b)
File Name: 21a0276p.06
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
â
IN RE: STOCKX CUSTOMER DATA SECURITY BREACH LITIGATION.
â
___________________________________________________
â
I. C., a minor by and through his natural parent, Nasim â
Chaudhri, M. S., a minor by and through his natural parent, â
Shuli Shakarchi, ADAM FOOTE, ANTHONY GIAMPETRO, > No. 21-1089
KWADWO KISSI, RICHARD HARRINGTON, JOHNNY SACASAS, and â
CHAD BOLLING, individually and on behalf of a Class of â
similarly situated persons, â
Plaintiffs-Appellants, â
â
â
v. â
â
STOCKX, LLC; STOCKX, INC., â
â
Defendants-Appellees.
â
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit.
No. 2:19-cv-12441âVictoria A. Roberts, District Judge.
Decided and Filed: December 2, 2021
Before: GUY, MOORE, and GIBBONS, Circuit Judges.
_________________
COUNSEL
ON BRIEF: E. Powell Miller, Sharon S. Almonrode, William Kalas, THE MILLER LAW
FIRM, P.C., Rochester, Michigan, Daniel J. Buller, FOULSTON SIEFKIN LLP, Overland Park,
Kansas, for Appellants. Kari M. Rollins, SHEPPARD MULLIN RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP,
New York, New York, David M. Poell, SHEPPARD MULLIN RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP,
Chicago, Illinois, Todd E. Lundell, SHEPPARD MULLIN RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP,
Costa Mesa, California, for Appellees.
GUY, J., delivered the opinion of the court in which GIBBONS, J., joined. MOORE, J.
(pp. 17â22), delivered a separate dissenting opinion.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 2
_________________
OPINION
_________________
RALPH B. GUY, JR., Circuit Judge. Eight named plaintiffs, among them two minors,
brought this nationwide putative class action against e-commerce provider StockX for allegedly
failing to protect millions of StockX userâs personal account information obtained through a
cyber-attack in May 2019. The district court granted StockXâs motion to dismiss the action and
compel arbitration. Plaintiffs have appealed, arguing that there is an issue of fact as to whether
four of the plaintiffs agreed to the current terms of service and that the defenses of infancy and
unconscionability render the terms of service and the arbitration agreement (including the
delegation provision) invalid and unenforceable. Because we conclude that a contract exists and
that the delegation provision itself is valid, the arbitrator must decide in the first instance whether
the defenses of infancy and unconscionability allow plaintiffs to avoid arbitrating the merits of
their claims. Accordingly, we AFFIRM.
I.
A.
StockX is an e-commerce website. Users can buy and sell a variety of luxury
merchandise, but StockXâs emphasis is rare sneakers. Although any person can browse
merchandise on StockX, only users with an account can bid on or sell an item. To create a
StockX account, a user must agree to StockXâs terms of service by affirmatively checking the
box next to the message that states: âBy signing up, you agree to the Terms of Service and
Privacy Policy.â The words âTerms of Serviceâ and âPrivacy Policyâ are blue or green,
indicating embedded hyperlinks, and the other words in the sentence are black. By clicking on
âTerms of Service,â a user can view the full text of the terms. Each time a user logs in with their
StockX account information, the user must click the âLog Inâ button. Below that button, it
states: âBy logging in, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.â Again, a user can
click on the colored, hyperlinked words âTerms of Serviceâ to view the current terms.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 3
Since 2015, StockXâs terms of service always included an arbitration agreement, a
delegation provision, a class action waiver, and instructions for how to opt out of the arbitration
agreement. But the terms have changed over time. In relevant part, the terms of service StockX
issued in 2015 provided that a court shall decide âissues relating to arbitrabilityâ and âthe scope
or enforceability of [the] Agreement to Arbitrate.â (R. 30-6, PageID 1268). But the next
sentence seemingly conflicted, stating that â[t]he arbitrator, and not any . . . court or agency,
shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute . . . relating to the interpretation,
applicability, enforceability or formation of . . . all or any part of this Agreement to Arbitrate or
the User Agreement[.]â Id.
StockX later changed its terms of service on two occasions. First, on October 17, 2017,
StockX added the following provision:
StockX may in [its] discretion change these Terms . . . without notice to you.
Changes take effect when we post them on our sites. YOUR CONTINUED USE
OF THE SITE AFTER WE CHANGE THESE TERMS CONSTITUTES YOUR
ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHANGES. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ANY
CHANGES, YOU MUST CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT.
(R. 30-7, PageID 1273).
Second, StockX again changed its terms of service on October 9, 2018. Under the
section titled âArbitration Procedures,â StockX revised its delegation provision by removing any
indication that a court could decide issues of arbitrability. The delegation provision states in
unambiguous terms that:
Other than issues related to the CLASS ACTION WAIVER, the arbitrator, and
not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to
resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability,
enforceability or formation of this Agreement to Arbitrate, any part of it, or of the
Terms including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this
Agreement to Arbitrate or the Terms is void or voidable.
(R. 30-8, PageID 1293-94). The agreement also provides that the âarbitration will be conducted
by the American Arbitration Association (âAAAâ) under its rules and procedures, . . . as
modified by [the] Agreement to Arbitrate.â (Id., PageID 1294). Similar to the 2017 Terms,
StockXâs October 2018 Terms state that â[i]f you do not agree to these Terms, do not use any
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 4
portion of the Servicesâ; âYOUR CONTINUED USE OF THE SITE AND/OR SERVICES
AFTER WE CHANGE THESE TERMS CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE
CHANGESâ; and âIF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ANY OF THE CHANGES, YOU MUST
CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT AND NOT USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICES.â (Id.,
PageID 1289 (emphasis in original)).
There are eight named plaintiffs in this putative class action.1 Four of the plaintiffsâ
M. S., Giampetro, Kissi, and Bollingâcreated their StockX accounts between June 2016 and
February 2018, before StockX issued its October 2018 Terms containing the revised delegation
provision. The other four plaintiffsâI. C., Foote, Harrington, and Sacasasâcreated their
StockX accounts after StockX issued its October 2018 Terms.
Plaintiffs allege that in May 2019, a computer hacker breached StockXâs system, stole
personal information from 6.8 million StockX user accounts, and listed the data on the âdark
web.â
B.
The eight named plaintiffs brought this nationwide putative class action against
Defendants StockX, LLC, and StockX, Inc., (collectively âStockXâ), asserting violations of
federal and state consumer protection laws. StockX filed a motion to dismiss and compel
arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), 9 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., or, in the alternative, to
dismiss the action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction or failure to state a claim. Plaintiffs
opposed the motion. In pertinent part, plaintiffs argued that: there is an issue of fact as to
whether four of the plaintiffs accepted the October 2018 Terms; âno enforceable arbitration
agreement existsâ for the minor plaintiffs due to the state law infancy doctrine; the arbitration
agreement is invalid as to all plaintiffs because it is unconscionable; and the delegation
provision, specifically, is âinvalidâ and âunenforceableâ as to the minor plaintiffs under the
infancy doctrine.
1The following eight individuals are the named plaintiffs: (1) Kansas citizen I. C., a minor; (2) New Jersey
citizen M. S., a minor; (3) Kansas citizen Adam Foote; (4) California citizen Chad Bolling; (5) Florida citizen
Johnny Sacasas; (6) New York citizen Anthony Giampetro; (7) New York citizen Richard Harrington; and
(8) Georgia citizen Kwadwo Kissi.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 5
After rejecting plaintiffsâ arguments, the district court granted StockXâs motion to
compel arbitration, concluded that StockXâs other reasons for dismissal are moot, and dismissed
the action. In doing so, the district court reasoned that under the delegation provision in the
October 2018 Terms, the infancy and unconscionability defenses plaintiffs had asserted must be
decided by an arbitrator, not a court. Plaintiffs appealed.
II.
On appeal, plaintiffs assert the same principal arguments that they made before the
district court. We are not persuaded that the district court erred.
A.
â[A]rbitration is a matter of contract,â meaning âcourts must ârigorously enforceâ
arbitration agreements according to their terms.â Am. Express Co. v. Italian Colors Rest.,
570 U.S. 228, 233(2013) (citation omitted). For instance, âparties may agree to have an arbitrator decide not only the merits of a particular dispute but also âgatewayâ questions of âarbitrability,â such as whether the parties have agreed to arbitrate or whether their agreement covers a particular controversy.â Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc.,139 S. Ct. 524, 529
(2019) (cleaned up) (quoting Rent-A-Center, W., Inc. v. Jackson,561 U.S. 63
, 68-69 (2010)). And as relevant here, the parties may also specify âthe issues subject to arbitration.â Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela,139 S. Ct. 1407, 1416
(2019); accord Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds Intâl Corp.,559 U.S. 662, 683
(2010). In this way, the âparties may delegate threshold arbitrability questions to the arbitrator, so long as the partiesâ agreement does so by âclear and unmistakableâ evidence.â Henry Schein,139 S. Ct. at 530
(quoting First Options of Chi., Inc. v. Kaplan,514 U.S. 938, 944
(1995)). Such a choice is typically evidenced in a so- called âdelegationâ clause or provision. See Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 68-69; New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira,139 S. Ct. 532, 538
(2019).
There is a delegation provision in this case. It states that âthe arbitrator . . . shall have
exclusive authority to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to the interpretation,
applicability, enforceability or formation of [the] Agreement to Arbitrate, any part of it, or of the
Terms including, . . . any claim that all or any part of [the] Agreement to Arbitrate or the Terms
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 6
is void or voidable.â (R. 30-8, PageID 1293-94). Such language alone is clear and unmistakable
evidence requiring that an arbitrator shall decide the âapplicability, enforceability,â or validity of
both the arbitration provision and the entire contract. See Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 66, 72-73;
Swiger v. Rosette, 989 F.3d 501, 506 (6th Cir. 2021).2
But even where an agreement contains a so-called delegation provision, âbefore referring
a dispute to an arbitrator, the court determines whether a valid arbitration agreement exists.â
Henry Schein, 139 S. Ct. at 530(citing9 U.S.C. § 2
). Indeed, the Supreme Court has instructed that âcourts should order arbitration of a dispute only where the court is satisfied that neither the formation of the partiesâ arbitration agreement nor (absent a valid provision specifically committing such disputes to an arbitrator) its enforceability or applicability to the dispute is in issue.â Granite Rock Co. v. Intâl Bhd. of Teamsters,561 U.S. 287
, 299 (2010) (first emphasis added). âThe issue of the agreementâs âvalidityâ is different from the issue whether any agreement between the parties âwas ever concluded[.]ââ See Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 88 n.2 (quoting Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc. v. Cardegna,546 U.S. 440
, 444 n.1 (2006)); see also
Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 297 (articulating the issues a âcourt must resolve,â which âalways
include whether the clause was agreed to, and may include when that agreement was formedâ).
Although the Supreme Court has not addressed the situation where, as in this case, a
delegation provision purports to require arbitration of the formation or existence of the contract
containing the provision, the above cases instruct that such issues are âalwaysâ for courts to
decide at the outset. After all, âarbitration âis a matter of consent, not coercion.ââ Stolt-Nielsen,
559 U.S. at 681 (citation omitted). In any event, this court has held that, even where a delegation
provision purports to require arbitration of formation issues, the severability principle does not
2The October 2018 Terms also state that âarbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration
Association (âAAAâ) under its rules and procedures, including the AAAâs Consumer Arbitration Rules,â and the
terms provide the AAAâs website where the rules can be located. (R. 30-8, PageID 1294). Those rules state that
â[t]he arbitrator shall have the power to rule on his or her own jurisdiction, including any objections with respect to
the existence, scope, or validity of the arbitration agreement or to the arbitrability of any claim or counterclaim,â and
âshall have the power to determine the existence or validity of a contract of which an arbitration clause forms a
part.â AAA Consumer Arb. R. 14(a)-(b) (effective Sept. 1, 2014); see also AAA Commâl Arb. R. 7(a)-(b) (effective
Oct. 1, 2013). This court, and each of the ten other circuits to address the issue, has held that âthe incorporation of
the AAA Rules (or similarly worded arbitral rules) provides âclear and unmistakableâ evidence that the parties
agreed to arbitrate âarbitrability.ââ Blanton v. Dominoâs Pizza Franchising LLC, 962 F.3d 842, 846(6th Cir. 2020) (collecting cases). No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 7 apply and courts must decide challenges to the formation or âexistence of an agreement in the first instance (âwhether it was in fact agreed toâ or âwas ever concludedâ).â See VIP, Inc. v. KYB Corp. (In re Auto. Parts Antitrust Litig.),951 F.3d 377, 385
(6th Cir. 2020) (quoting Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 69 n.1, 71 & n.2); see also Boykin v. Family Dollar Stores of Mich., LLC,3 F.4th 832, 843-44
(6th Cir. 2021) (involving whether an employee âassentedâ to an
arbitration contract and concluding that the courts âmust decide this formation questionâ
regardless of what the (alleged) contract saysâ). We are not alone in this regard.3
If an agreement exists, then âas a matter of substantive federal arbitration law, an
arbitration provision [and delegation provision] [are] severable from the remainder of the
contract.â See Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 70-72 (quoting Buckeye, 546 U.S. at 445). â[U]nder the severability principle, we treat a challenge to the validity of an arbitration agreement (or a delegation clause) separately from a challenge to the validity of the entire contract in which it appears.â New Prime,139 S. Ct. at 538
. Where, as in this case, a delegation provision calls for an arbitrator to decide the validity and enforceability of both the arbitration provision and the contract in which it appears, courts may only decide a challenge to âthe delegation provision specifically,â Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72, âor claims that the agreement to arbitrate was â[n]ever concluded,ââ see Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 301 (quoting Buckeye,546 U.S. at 444
n.1)). Thus, âif a valid agreement exists, and if the agreement delegates the arbitrability issue to an arbitratorâ and that delegation provision stands, âa court may not decide the arbitrability issue.â Henry Schein,139 S. Ct. at 530
; see Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72-73.
Against this backdrop, our analysis proceeds in two steps. First, we resolve any
challenge that pertains to the formation or existence of the contract containing the delegation
provision. If a contract exists, we proceed to step two. Second, we decide any remaining
3See, e.g., MZM Constr. Co. v. N.J. Bldg. Laborers Statewide Benefit Funds, 974 F.3d 386, 400-02 (3d Cir. 2020) (collecting cases and concluding, despite that âthe delegation provision seems to be a valid agreement to arbitrate the existenceâ of the whole contract, âthe degree of specificity requiredâ under the âseverability doctrineâ does ânot apply,â and the court must decide challenges to the âformation or existence of the container contractâ); Bowles v. OneMain Fin. Grp., L.L.C.,954 F.3d 722, 725
(5th Cir. 2020) (âIf the existence of an arbitration contract between parties is challenged, the challenge is always for the courts to decide.â); Solymar Invs., Ltd. v. Banco Santander S.A.,672 F.3d 981, 990
(11th Cir. 2012) (explaining that âGranite Rockâs threshold inquiry of whether a contract was formed necessarily precedesâ the âdetermination of whether any subsequent challenges are to the entire agreement, or to the arbitration clause specificallyâ under the severability principle). No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 8 enforceability or validity challenge only if it would âaffect the [delegation provision] aloneâ or âthe basis of [the] challenge [is] directed specifically to the [delegation provision].â Rent-A- Center, 561 U.S. at 71-72. âWe review de novo a district courtâs decisions regarding both the existence of a valid arbitration agreement and the arbitrability of a particular dispute.â VIP,951 F.3d at 381
(quoting Floss v. Ryanâs Family Steak Houses, Inc.,211 F.3d 306, 311
(6th Cir.
2000)).
B.
The four plaintiffs who established their StockX account before October 2018 contend
that the district court erred in concluding that they agreed to the October 2018 Terms that contain
the revised delegation provision. We disagree.
Plaintiffsâ âacceptanceâ argument is for a court to decideâirrespective of any delegation
provisionâbecause the argument goes to the formation or existence of the contract (âwhether it
was in fact agreed toâ or âwas ever concludedâ). VIP, 951 F.3d at 385 (quoting Rent-A-Center,
561 U.S. at 69 n.1, 71 & n.2); see Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 299, 301; see supra, Section II.A.
Section 4 of the FAA directs that if the âmaking of the agreement for arbitration . . . is not
in issue,â the court shall direct âthe parties to proceed to arbitration,â but â[i]f the making of the
arbitration agreement . . . be in issue, the court shall proceed summarily to the trial thereof.â
9 U.S.C. § 4. To determine whether the existence of an agreement is âin issue,â this court applies the standard for summary judgment. See, e.g., Great Earth Cos. v. Simons,288 F.3d 878, 889
(6th Cir. 2002); Mazera v. Varsity Ford Mgmt. Servs., LLC,565 F.3d 997, 1001
(6th Cir. 2009). StockX, as the movant asserting the existence of a contract, must initially carry its burden to produce evidence that would allow a reasonable jury to find that a contract exists. See Hergenreder v. Bickford Senior Living Grp., LLC,656 F.3d 411, 417
(6th Cir. 2011); Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a), (e); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett,477 U.S. 317, 322
(1986). We âapply ordinary state-law principles that govern the formation of contracts.â First Options,514 U.S. at 944
; see Arthur Andersen LLP v. Carlisle,556 U.S. 624, 630-31
(2009).
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 9
The parties agree Michigan law applies to plaintiffsâ formation argument.4 Four
plaintiffsâM. S., Giampetro, Kissi, and Bollingâargue that they created their StockX accounts
before StockX changed its terms in October 2018 to include the revised delegation provision and
that they did not assent to these changes. Under Michigan law, â[a] valid contract requires five
elements: (1) parties competent to contract, (2) a proper subject matter, (3) legal consideration,
(4) mutuality of agreement, and (5) mutuality of obligation.â AFT Mich. v. State, 866 N.W.2d
782, 804(Mich. 2015). Plaintiffsâ lack-of-assent argument pertains to the fourth element (mutuality of agreement), which requires âan offer and acceptance.â See Bodnar v. St. John Providence, Inc.,933 N.W.2d 363
, 369 (Mich. Ct. App. 2019); Kloian v. Dominoâs Pizza, L.L.C.,733 N.W.2d 766
, 770 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006). That is, there must be âmutual assentââ i.e., a ââmeeting of the mindsâ on all the essential elements of the agreement.â Huntington Natâl Bank v. Daniel J. Aronoff Living Trust,853 N.W.2d 481, 488
(Mich. Ct. App. 2014) (quoting Goldman v. Century Ins. Co.,93 N.W.2d 240, 243
(Mich. 1958)). Whether there was a âmeeting
of the minds is judged by an objective standard, looking to the express words of the parties and
their visible acts, not their subjective states of mind.â Kloian, 733 N.W.2d at 771 (citation
omitted).
StockX established mutuality of agreement. StockX submitted an affidavit from its Vice
President of Product Development, stating that when StockX revised its terms on October 9,
2018, StockX sent an email to âPlaintiffs M.S., Giampetro, Kissi, and Bolling (and all other
StockX registered users).â The email (attached to the affidavit) informed plaintiffs that the
company had âupdated [its] Terms of Service and Privacy Policy,â and the email included
hyperlinks for plaintiffs to click and âread the full Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.â It was
plaintiffsâ duty to âreadâ the contract and obtain an explanation if they did not understand it.
4A federal court sitting in diversity must apply the choice-of-law rules of the forum state. Klaxon Co. v.
Stentor Elect. Mfg. Co., 313 U.S. 487, 496-97(1941). Michigan applies the approach in §§ 187 and 188 of the Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws. Chrysler Corp. v. Skyline Indus. Servs., Inc.,528 N.W.2d 698, 703
(Mich. 1995); see also Uhl v. Komatsu Forklift Co.,512 F.3d 294, 302
(6th Cir. 2008); Langley v. Prudential Mortg. Capital Co., LLC,546 F.3d 365, 368
(6th Cir. 2008) (applying the âthe law of the forumâ as opposed to âthe law chosen by the litigantsâ to determine whether there was a contract with a forum selection clause). The district court did not conduct a choice-of-law analysis or cite the law of any state in deciding the formation issue. On appeal, at least for this issue, StockX cites to Michigan law, and plaintiffs follow suit in their reply brief, without challenging the choice of law. (Appellee Br. 23; Reply Br. 1-2). Because the parties agree Michigan law applies, we apply Michigan contract law. See Baker Hughes Inc. v. S&S Chem., LLC,836 F.3d 554, 560
(6th Cir. 2016). No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 10 See Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. of Mich. v. Nikkel,596 N.W.2d 915, 920
(Mich. 1999) (citation omitted); Scholz v. Montgomery Ward & Co.,468 N.W.2d 845, 848-49
(Mich. 1991). The October 2018 Terms state: â[i]f you do not agree to these Terms, do not use any portion of the Servicesâ; âYOUR CONTINUED USE OF THE SITE AND/OR SERVICES AFTER WE CHANGE THESE TERMS CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHANGESâ; and âIF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ANY OF THE CHANGES, YOU MUST CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT AND NOT USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICES.â (R. 30-8, PageID 1289 (emphasis in original)). In Michigan, it is âhornbook lawâ that contracting parties âare at all times free to alter, amend, or modify their agreement. . . . [T]he parties may execute a substituted agreement which totally supersedes the terms of the original.â Archambo v. Lawyers Title Ins. Corp.,646 N.W.2d 170, 176
(Mich. 2002). Further, the affidavit StockX submitted states, âPlaintiffs M.S., Giampetro, Kissi, and Bolling have all continued to login to [sic] and use their StockX accounts and StockXâs Services.â By doing so, plaintiffs conduct âmirrors that called for in the offer, and âthe manifestation of mutual assent may be made wholly or partly by . . . acts or conduct.ââ Tillman v. Macyâs, Inc.,735 F.3d 453, 460
(6th Cir. 2011) (brackets omitted) (quoting Ludowici-Celadon Co. v. McKinley,11 N.W.2d 839, 840
(Mich. 1943)). StockX
carried its burden.
It was then incumbent upon plaintiffs to âcit[e] to particular . . . materials in the record,â
see Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c), to show that there is a genuine dispute of material fact that could âlead
a rational trier of fact to findâ that a contract does not exist. See Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372,
380(2007). These four plaintiffs made no attempt to do so. They did not submit an affidavit declaring that either they did not receive the notification email or did not access their StockX accounts. Instead, in their brief in opposition to StockXâs motion, plaintiffs offered the conclusory assertion that âthere are questions of material fact as to whether [they] accepted the October 2018 Terms.â That is not permissible evidence under Rule 56. See Alexander v. CareSource,576 F.3d 551, 558
(6th Cir. 2009).
All told, plaintiffs M. S., Giampetro, Kissi, and Bolling failed to put âin issueâ their
consent to the October 2018 Terms that contain the revised delegation provision. 9 U.S.C. § 4.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 11
C.
The minor plaintiffs, M. S. and I. C., assert that the infancy doctrine âinvalidatesâ the
October 2018 Terms, rendering âthe entire agreement unenforceable.â (Appellant Br. 10, 14;
Reply Br. 3). At the same time, however, plaintiffs argue that the district court should have
decided their âinfancy doctrine defenseâ because âit is an attack on the formation or existence of
the contractâ as a whole. (Appellant Br. 21-23; Reply Br. 3-10). We conclude otherwise, so the
severability principle applies.
Consider a few examples where the severability principle was applied. In Prima Paint,
the Supreme Court held that âif the claim is fraud in the inducement of the arbitration clause
itselfâan issue which goes to the âmakingâ of the agreement to arbitrateâthe federal court may
proceed to adjudicate it.â Prima Paint Corp. v. Flood & Conklin Mfg. Co., 388 U.S. 395, 403-04(1967). Otherwise, the FAA âdoes not permit the federal court to consider claims of fraud in the inducement of the contract generally.âId. at 404
. Similarly, in Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc. v. Cardegna,546 U.S. 440
(2006), a court did not have the authority to decide that a âusurious interestâ rate provision in a loan agreement rendered the entire contract âillegal and void ab initioâ because the arbitration provisions were âenforceable apart from the remainder of the contractâ under the severability principle. See546 U.S. at 443, 446-47
.
Then, in Rent-A-Center, W., Inc. v. Jackson, 561 U.S. 63(2010), an employment contract contained a delegation provision, like the one here, assigning to the arbitrator the âexclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the . . . enforceability . . . of [the] Agreement including, but not limited to any claim that all or any part of [the] Agreement is void or voidable.â 561 U.S. at 68. The Court reasoned that an arbitrator must decide plaintiffâs claim that the employment contract was âboth procedurally and substantively unconscionableâ because his challenges were not âspecific to the delegation provision.â Id. at 73. And where a signatory opposed arbitration by arguing that the non-signatory seeking to compel arbitration âlacked ability to invoke the arbitration agreement,â this court held that the argument concerned an issue of âenforceabilityâ under the delegation provision in the contract, and thus it was a âquestion of arbitrability that [the] arbitration agreement delegated to an arbitrator.â Swiger,989 F.3d at 506
- 07; see also Blanton,962 F.3d at 849
(concluding that the question of whether a signatory
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 12
opposing arbitration with a non-signatory was an issue of enforceability, not a challenge to the
ââexistenceâ of the arbitration agreementâ).
Here, plaintiffsâ infancy argument does not concern the formation or existence of a
contract. It makes no difference whether infancy under state law renders a contract void or
voidable. In answering whether the rule of severability applies, the Supreme Court was clear in
Buckeye that it is irrelevant whether the challenge at issue âwould render the contract void or
voidableâ under the relevant stateâs contract law. Buckeye, 546 U.S. at 446-47; see Nitro-Lift Techs., L.L.C. v. Howard,568 U.S. 17, 20-21
(2012). Instead, the relevant inquiry is whether the minor plaintiffsâ infancy defense amounts to an argument that the agreement âwas [n]ever concluded.â Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 299, 301 (cleaned up); see also Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 71 & n.2; VIP,951 F.3d at 385
. That is not the case here.
Under Michigan law,5 a minorâs contract is not synonymous with a nonexistent contract.
âIt is elementary that an infantâs contract, with certain exceptions . . ., is voidable.â Payette v.
Fleischman, 45 N.W.2d 16, 17(Mich. 1950); see Semmens v. Floyd Rice Ford, Inc.,136 N.W.2d 704, 705-07
(Mich. Ct. App. 1965) (conducting an extensive survey of Michigan law and concluding that â[t]he principle of law enunciated that an executed voidable contract of an infant is valid until disaffirmed appears to be the law in Michiganâ), appeal denied,377 Mich. 695
(1966). Thus, plaintiffsâ infancy defense is a matter of enforceability covered under the
delegation provision.6
5Plaintiffs
concede that âbecause there is no conflict between Michigan, Kansas, and New Jersey law on
the infancy doctrine issues before the Court, no choice-of-law determination is necessary.â (Reply Br. 13); cf. Baker
Hughes, 836 F.3d at 560.
6Although plaintiffs cite to Woodman v. Kera LLC, 785 N.W.2d 1, 15(Mich. 2010), where the court stated that âa minor lacks the capacity to contract,â Michigan still treats the contract as if it exists. Moreover, plaintiffs overlook the accompanying footnote in Woodman, where the court cited several Michigan Supreme Court cases holding that a minorâs contract is merely voidable, not void. Seeid.
at 15 n.14 (citing Holmes v. Rice,7 N.W. 772, 772
(Mich. 1881) (âThe law in recognizing the incapacity of infants to enter into certain contracts and declaring such contracts voidable does so for the infantâs protection. Their contracts are not void but voidable, and it is for the infant to avoid the contract or ratify it[.]â); Minock v. Shortridge,21 Mich. 304, 315
(1870) (âThe executory contract of an infant, such as a promissory note, is not void in the sense of being a nullity, because it may be confirmed, but it has no binding force until it is confirmed.â); Carrell v. Potter,23 Mich. 377, 378-79
(1871); Dunton v. Brown,31 Mich. 182, 183
(1875) (concluding that minorâs agreement was âat best only voidableâ and it âwas certainly not a nullityâ); Reynolds v. Garber-Buick Co.,149 N.W. 985, 987
(Mich. 1914) (âAfter reaching his majority one may
disaffirm a contract made by him during infancy and recover what he paid or parted with pursuant to such contract,
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 13
Because the delegation provision requires the arbitrator to decide âany claim that all or
any part of th[e] Agreement to Arbitrate or the Terms is void or voidable,â plaintiffs must
âspecificallyâ attack the validity or enforceability of âthe delegation provisionâ itself. See Rent-
A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72; cf. Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 299.
D.
Having concluded that the severability principle applies, the minor plaintiffs nevertheless
maintain that they have âspecifically challenge[d] the delegation provisionâ because âthe minors
adequately pleadâ (or argue, rather) that âthe infancy doctrine independently invalidatesâ the
delegation provision. (Reply Br. 10, 13; Appellant Br. 32, 35). All of the plaintiffs also argue
that the arbitration agreement (including the delegation provision) is unconscionable. Both
arguments miss the mark. The district court was correct to leave these issues for the arbitrator.
The Supreme Court has said there are âtwo types of validity challenges.â Rent-A-Center,
561 U.S. at 70. ââOne type challenges specifically the validity of the agreement to arbitrate,â and
âthe other challenges the contract as a whole, either on a ground that directly affects the entire
agreement (e.g., the agreement was fraudulently induced), or on the ground that the illegality of
one of the contractâs provisions renders the whole contract invalid.ââ Id. (brackets omitted)
(quoting Buckeye, 546 U.S. at 444). Courts may decide only the first type. See id. at 70-72.
1.
Plaintiffsâ infancy defense falls in the second category because that defense directly
affects the enforceability or validity of the entire agreement. Plaintiffs admit as much, arguing
that âthe infancy doctrine is applicable to the contract as a whole; but it is also applicable to each
arbitration clause and delegation clause when viewed separately.â (Appellant Br. 34 (emphasis
omitted)). Thus, an arbitrator must adjudicate plaintiffsâ infancy defense.
if he return what he received.â); Lawrence v. Baxter, 267 N.W. 742, 743(Mich. 1936) (âAuthority need not be cited in support of the uniform holdings that a minor may rescind a contract of this character. The contract for the house and lot was not for a necessity.â)). Woodman did not purport to overrule these prior cases. Michigan has also declared by statute that some contracts cannot be disaffirmed by minors. SeeMich. Comp. Laws § 600.1403
. Thus, while a minor may generally disaffirm a contract under Michigan law, that contract is âcertainly not a nullity.â Dunton,31 Mich. at 183
.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 14
This conclusion is underscored by Rent-A-Center, where the Court explained the
difference between a challenge specifically to the arbitration or delegation provision and a
challenge to the entire agreement:
In some cases the claimed basis of invalidity for the contract as a whole will be
much easier to establish than the same basis as applied only to the severable
agreement to arbitrate. Thus, in an employment contract many elements of
alleged unconscionability applicable to the entire contract (outrageously low
wages, for example) would not affect the agreement to arbitrate alone. But even
where that is not the caseâas in Prima Paint itself, where the alleged fraud that
induced the whole contract equally induced the agreement to arbitrate which was
part of that contractâwe nonetheless require the basis of [the] challenge to be
directed specifically to the agreement to arbitrate before the court will intervene.
561 U.S. at 71 (emphasis added); see also Masco Corp. v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co., 382 F.3d 624,
628 (6th Cir. 2004) (explaining that âa general arbitration clause is enforceable even if it is
contained in a contract that is generally asserted to be voidable, unless the basis for rescission
applies specifically to the arbitration clauseâ).
For example, in Rent-A-Center, the plaintiff (who was also the party opposing arbitration)
did not specifically challenge the delegation provision and argued only that the âarbitration
agreement as a wholeâ was unconscionable. 561 U.S. at 72-75 (emphasis omitted). In
particular, the plaintiff argued that âthe fee-splitting arrangement and the limitations on
discoveryâprocedures that were to be used during arbitration under both the agreement to
arbitrate employment-related disputes and the delegation provisionââwere unconscionable. Id.
at 74 (emphasis in original). The Court held that the argument was not a specific challenge to
the delegation provision. As the Court explained, the plaintiff needed to challenge âthe
delegation provision by arguing that these common procedures as applied to the delegation
provision rendered that provision unconscionable.â Id. at 74 (emphasis in original). âTo make
such a claim based on the discovery procedures,â the Court instructed that the â[plaintiff] would
have had to argue that the limitation upon the number of depositions causes the arbitration of his
claim that the [Arbitration] Agreement is unenforceable to be unconscionable.â Id. at 65, 74.
The plaintiff could not simply argue âthat the same limitation renders arbitration of his factbound
employment-discrimination claim unconscionable.â Id. at 74.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 15
It follows therefore that, contrary to plaintiffsâ view, the requirement that a litigant must
âspecificallyâ challenge the delegation provision is not a mere pleading requirement. While this
court has said in dicta that â[a] party may attack a delegation clause using the same arguments it
raises against the entire arbitration agreement,â Swiger, 989 F.3d at 506, that statementâin
keeping with what Rent-A-Center teachesâmust be understood to mean that a party may
challenge both the entire agreement and a delegation provision under the same legal doctrine.
But a partyâs mere statement that it is challenging the delegation provision is not enough; courts
must look to the substance of the challenge. Here, plaintiffsâ infancy defense affects the validity
or enforceability of âthe whole contract,â as well as the agreement to arbitrate and its delegation
provision, which are âpart of that contract.â See Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 71. As such,
plaintiffs were required to show that âthe basis of [their] challenge [is] directed specificallyâ to
the âdelegation provision.â Id. at 71-72 (emphasis added). They have failed to do so as they
have simply recycled the same arguments that pertain to the enforceability of the agreement as a
whole. Therefore, plaintiffsâ infancy defense is for an arbitrator to decide.7
2.
An arbitrator must also decide plaintiffsâ argument that the arbitration agreement and
delegation provision are procedurally and substantively unconscionable. In particular, plaintiffs
argue the arbitration agreement is procedurally unconscionable because: the contract is a
âcontract of adhesion,â âcomprised of boilerplate language, drafted by StockXâ; the arbitration
opt-out provision contains an âexacting set of instructionsâ and is âillusoryâ; and the arbitration
clause incorporates the AAA rules âas modified by [the] Agreement to Arbitrate.â (Appellant
Br. 44-45). But these arguments do not relate specifically to the delegation provision. As in
7It appears no other federal appellate court has addressed an infancy defense in the arbitration setting. Two
of our sister circuits, however, have confronted the issue of mental incapacity due to an impairment and reached
different conclusions. Compare Spahr v. Secco, 330 F.3d 1266, 1273(10th Cir. 2003) (holding that a court must decide an Alzheimerâs patientâs âmental incapacity defense,â even though it ânaturally goes to both the entire contract and the specific agreement to arbitrate in the contractâ), with Primerica Life Ins. Co. v. Brown,304 F.3d 469, 472
(5th Cir. 2002) (holding that under Prima Paint, an arbitrator must decide a mental capacity defense because it is âa defense to [the] entire agreement . . . and not a specific challenge to the arbitration clauseâ). The Supreme Court later cited Spahr in a footnote but expressly declined to address whether courts or arbitrators should decide a mental incapacity defense. Buckeye,546 U.S. at 444
n.1. Although these cases do not address the precise
issue presented here, the Fifth Circuitâs decision in Primerica supports the conclusion that plaintiffsâ infancy
defense relates to the enforceability or validity of the agreement as a whole, not specifically the delegation provision.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 16
Rent-A-Center, plaintiffs have not explained how any of those provisions âcauses the arbitration
of [their] claim that the [Arbitration] Agreement is unenforceable to be unconscionable.â
561 U.S. at 65, 74.
Likewise, plaintiffsâ substantive unconscionability argument is also misplaced. They
claim âthe arbitration agreementâincluding the delegation clauseâlacks the essential element
of mutualityâ because, under § 1 of the October 2018 Terms, StockX has the discretion to change
the terms of service. But a âchallenge to another provision of the contract . . . does not prevent a
court from enforcing a specific agreement to arbitrateâ or the delegation provision for that
matter. Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 70. Plaintiffs have again failed to explain how the change-
in-terms provision operates on the delegation provision any differently than it operates on other
provisions of the October 2018 Terms.
* * *
Because a contract exists and the delegation provision itself is valid, we have âno
business weighing the meritsâ of any challenge to the arbitration agreement or the October 2018
Terms. See Henry Schein, 139 S. Ct. at 529; Granite Rock, 561 U.S. at 299. It bears emphasis, however, that todayâs decision is narrow. As this court has said before: âItâs not about the merits of the case. Itâs not even about whether the parties have to arbitrate the merits. Instead, itâs about who should decide whether the parties have to arbitrate the merits.â Blanton,962 F.3d at 852
(emphasis in original).
The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 17
_________________
DISSENT
_________________
KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge, dissenting. This case concerns two issues:
whether minors can be compelled to arbitrate under a contractâs delegation provision when they
have disaffirmed that contract, and whether parties that challenge a delegation clause as
unconscionable are nonetheless bound by it. Because I believe that delegation clauses should not
bind individuals in these circumstances, I respectfully dissent.
I. PLAINTIFFSâ INFANCY CHALLENGE
Plaintiffs argue that the infancy doctrine means they cannot be bound by a contractâs
delegation provision when they have disaffirmed the contract. I agree.
When an arbitration agreement contains a delegation provision, the courtânot an
arbitratorâdecides two types of challenges. First, a court decides challenges that are âdirected
specifically to the [delegation provision].â Rent-A-Center, W., Inc. v. Jackson, 561 U.S. 63, 71 (2010). Second, âwhere the dispute at issue concerns contract formation, the dispute is generally for courts to decide.â Granite Rock Co. v. Intâl Brotherhood of Teamsters,561 U.S. 287
, 296 (2010); see Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer & White Sales, Inc.,139 S. Ct. 524, 530
(2019) (âTo be
sure, before referring a dispute to an arbitrator, the court determines whether a valid arbitration
agreement exists.â).
Although challenges that go to a contractâs formation or existence are decided by courts,
and challenges that go to a contractâs validity are decided by arbitrators, no binding caselaw has
addressed who decides capacity-based challenges. See Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc. v.
Cardegna, 546 U.S. 440, 444 n.1 (2006) (âOur opinion today addresses only [the issue of the contractâs validity] and does not speak to the issue decided in the cases cited by respondents (and by the Florida Supreme Court), which hold that it is for courts to decide . . . whether the signor lacked the mental capacity to assent.â). The Supreme Courtâs footnote in Buckeye suggests that claims that a signatory lacked the mental capacity to contract should not automatically be treated in the same way as challenges to a contractâs validity. Different circuits have resolved this issue No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 18 differently. Compare Spahr v. Secco,330 F.3d 1266, 1273
(10th Cir. 2003) (court, not arbitrator, decides challenge based on mental capacity) with Primerica Life Ins. Co. v. Brown,304 F.3d 469, 472
(5th Cir. 2002) (mental-capacity issue should be decided by arbitrator, not the court). In an unpublished decision, this court has treated a mental-capacity challenge as a challenge based on a contractâs formation and, thus, one that should be decided by a court. Rowan v. Brookdale Senior Living Cmtys., Inc.,647 F. Appâx 607
, 609â10 (6th Cir. 2016); see also Moran v. Svete,366 F. Appâx 624, 632
(6th Cir. 2010).
When determining who should decide a contractâs arbitrability, the distinction between
void and voidable contracts is âirrelevant.â Buckeye, 546 U.S. at 446. The majority acknowledges this, but then concludes that âplaintiffsâ infancy defense is a matter of enforceability,â based on its recitation of Michigan caselaw that classifies minorsâ contracts as âvoidable.â Maj. Op. at 12. However, given the âirrelevan[ce]â of the void/voidable distinction in determining who should decide a claimâs arbitrability, Buckeye,546 U.S. at 446
, Michiganâs
treatment of minorsâ contracts as voidable cannot resolve this question.
I would hold that a minor who has disaffirmed a contract is not subject to the contractâs
delegation provision.
First, to hold that an arbitration or delegation provision can bind a minor âwould be to
elevate it over other forms of contract.â Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 71 (quoting Prima Paint
Corp. v. Flood & Conklin Mfg. Co., 388 U.S. 395, 404 n.12 (1967)). â[A]rbitration is simply a matter of contract between the parties; it is a way to resolve those disputesâbut only those disputesâthat the parties have agreed to submit to arbitration.â First Options of Chi., Inc. v. Kaplan,514 U.S. 938, 943
(1995); see AT&T Techs., Inc. v. Commcâns Workers of Am.,475 U.S. 643
, 648â49 (1986) (â[A]rbitrators derive their authority to resolve disputes only
because the parties have agreed in advance to submit such grievances to arbitration.â); Granite
Rock, 561 U.S. at 303 (âWe have applied the presumption favoring arbitration . . . only where it
reflects, and derives its legitimacy from, a judicial conclusion that arbitration of a particular
dispute is what the parties intended . . . .â).
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 19
Although minorsâ contracts may be âvalid until disaffirmed,â Semmens v. Floyd Rice
Ford, Inc., 136 N.W.2d 704, 706(Mich. Ct. App. 1965), they are not binding on the minors because minors may disaffirm them, seeid. at 707
, and parties may not enforce contracts against a minor until after the minor reaches the age of majority, Woodman ex rel. Woodman v. Kera LLC,785 N.W.2d 1, 5
(Mich. 2010). Thus, even a valid contract with a minor is different in kind from a valid contract with an adult who has full capacity to contract. This distinction is more fundamental than the validity or enforceability of a specific provision and goes, instead, to the very âmakingâ of the agreement. Prima Paint,388 U.S. at 404
.
Moreover, I find the Tenth Circuitâs reasoning in Spahr v. Secco, 330 F.3d 1266,
persuasive. In the context of a mental-capacity challenge, the Tenth Circuit explained:
Prima Paint submits to arbitrators the resolution of a claim of fraud in the
inducement of the entire contract, as contrasted with a claim of fraud in the
inducement of the arbitration agreement itself. . . . Courts may apply this rule with
ease when a party challenges a contract on the basis that it was induced by fraud
because it is conceivable either that (1) he or she was fraudulently induced to
agree to a contract containing an arbitration agreement; or (2) he or she was
fraudulently induced to agree to the arbitration provision in particular. We cannot
say the same when a party raises a mental capacity challenge, as it would be odd
indeed if a party claimed that its mental incapacity specifically affected the
agreement to arbitrate. We conclude, therefore, that the analytical formula
developed in Prima Paint cannot be applied with precision when a party contends
that an entire contract containing an arbitration provision is unenforceable
because he or she lacked the mental capacity to enter into the contract. Unlike a
claim of fraud in the inducement, which can be directed at individual provisions
in a contract, a mental capacity challenge can logically be directed only at the
entire contract.
Spahr, 330 F.3d at 1272â73 (internal citations omitted).
This same logic applies to challenges based on infancy. It would be âodd indeedâ to say
that infancy specifically affected an individual contractual provision. Id. at 1273. Because a
challenge based on infancy can be directed at only the entire contract, and not at specific
contractual provisions, it does not make sense to hold that a court may decide an infancy-based
challenge solely when a party directs it at a specific provision.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 20
II. PLAINTIFFSâ UNCONSCIONABILITY CHALLENGE
I also take issue with the majorityâs assertions that plaintiffsâ unconscionability
arguments âdo not relate specifically to the delegation provision.â Maj. Op. at 15. This
statement misconstrues both the plaintiffsâ arguments and the severability principle.
â[U]nless [plaintiffs] challenged the delegation provision specifically, we must treat it as
valid . . . , leaving any challenge to the validity of the [arbitration] [a]greement as a whole for the
arbitrator.â Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72. If a party âfail[s] to specifically challenge [the]
delegation clause,â an arbitrator must decide the issue of arbitrability. Swiger v. Rosette, 989
F.3d 501, 506 (6th Cir. 2021). If, however, a party challenges the validity of the delegation
provision specifically, âthe federal court must consider the challenge before ordering compliance
with that agreement . . . .â Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 71 (emphasis added).
Although âmerely challenging the entire agreement will not suffice,â â[a] party may
attack a delegation clause using the same arguments it raises against the entire arbitration
agreement.â Swiger, 989 F.3d at 506; see Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 74 (âIt may be that had Jackson challenged the delegation provision by arguing that these common procedures as applied to the delegation provision rendered that provision unconscionable, the challenge should have been considered by the court.â); see also Gibbs v. Sequoia Cap. Operations, LLC,966 F.3d 286, 291
(4th Cir. 2020) (a claim that a âdelegation clause suffers from the same defect as the arbitration provisionâ is a specific challenge to the delegation provision); Gingras v. Think Fin., Inc.,922 F.3d 112, 126
(2d Cir. 2019) (an allegation that ââ[t]he delegation provision . . . is also fraudulentâ . . . is sufficient to make the issue of arbitrability one for a federal courtâ (emphasis added)); MacDonald v. CashCall, Inc.,883 F.3d 220
, 226â27 (3d Cir. 2018) (âIn specifically challenging a delegation clause, a party may rely on the same arguments that it employs to contest the enforceability of other arbitration agreement provisions.â); Phillips v. Bestway Rental, Inc.,542 F. Appâx 410, 411
(5th Cir. 2013) (per curiam) (when party used the same arguments to challenge the delegation provision and the arbitration agreement as a whole, the court considered these arguments âonly to the extent that they challenge the delegation clauseâ); Brice v. Haynes Invs., LLC,13 F.4th 823, 840
(9th Cir. 2021) (Fletcher, J., dissenting)
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 21
(âA delegation provision may be held invalid for the same reason or reasons as the arbitration
agreement.â).
Plaintiffs challenged the delegation clause specifically. See R. 35 (Resp. to Mot. to
Dismiss at 12â13) (Page ID #1330â31) (âThe 2018 version allowed only ânew usersâ to opt out,
even though the new terms were substantively different and contained a new clause delegating
arbitrability to the arbitrator.â); id. at 13â14 (Page ID #1331â32) (âSince the delegation clause
gave the plaintiffs âno other recourse but to submit to arbitration even when it is unclear if the
arbitration board has authority to hear such disputes,â such an agreement shocks the conscience
and is substantively unconscionable.â (internal citations omitted)); id. at 14 (Page ID #1332)
(â[T]he arbitration agreementâincluding the delegation clauseâlacks mutuality.â). Although
some of these arguments (such as the argument that StockX added the delegation clause without
allowing old users to opt out) apply only to the delegation clause and not the contract as a whole,
other arguments (such as the argument that the delegation clause lacks mutuality) apply both to
the delegation provision and the contract as a whole.1 Both categories of arguments are properly
decided by the district court, not an arbitrator.
This case thus contrasts with cases in which plaintiffs did not address the delegation
provision at all. See, e.g., Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72 (âNowhere in his opposition to Rent-A-
Centerâs motion to compel arbitration did he even mention the delegation provision.â); Swiger,
989 F.3d at 506(court cannot decide arbitrability because plaintiff âhas not once mentioned, let alone challenged, the delegation clauseâ); Anderson v. Charter Commcâns, Inc.,860 F. Appâx 374
, 378 (6th Cir. 2021) (arbitrability to be decided by arbitrator because plaintiff âraised his arguments . . . to challenge the arbitration agreement generally, not the delegation provisions specificallyâ); Danley v. Encore Cap. Grp.,680 F. Appâx 394, 399
(6th Cir. 2017) (plaintiffs
1Relying on Rent-A-Center, the majority asserts that âa partyâs mere statement that it is challenging the
delegation provision is not enough.â Maj. Op. at 15. However, this claim is unsupported by Rent-A-Center, in
which plaintiffs did not âeven mentionâ the delegation provision. Rent-A-Center, 561 U.S. at 72. Regardless,
plaintiffsâ statements here go beyond âmere statement[s]â that they are challenging the delegation provision because
they specifically point to aspects of the delegation clause, such as the way that it was added or the way that it
uniquely forces parties into arbitration. Even if the majority thinks that these challenges may ultimately be
unsuccessful, they specifically go to the delegation provision and, as a result, should be decided by a court, not an
arbitrator.
No. 21-1089 In re StockX Customer Data Security Breach Litig. Page 22
âdid not acknowledge their delegation provisions, let alone challenge them (below, or on
appeal)â).
Past cases made it clear that plaintiffs who wish to challenge, in court, an agreementâs
arbitrability must attack the delegation clause specifically. In this case, plaintiffs did so. I would
therefore remand this case to the district court to decide the merits of plaintiffsâ
unconscionability argument.
For the reasons stated above, I respectfully dissent.