Agbaje v. Hargrave Military Acad.

328 F. Supp. 3d 539
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Virginia
DecidedJuly 10, 2018
DocketCase No. 4:17-cv-00055
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 328 F. Supp. 3d 539 (Agbaje v. Hargrave Military Acad.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Agbaje v. Hargrave Military Acad., 328 F. Supp. 3d 539 (W.D. Va. 2018).

Opinion

Jackson L. Kiser, SENIOR UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

This matter is before the Court on Defendant Hargrave Military Academy's ("Hargrave") Motion for Summary Judgment. Hargrave contends that the charitable immunity doctrine shields it from liability against Plaintiff Miles Agbaje's ("Plaintiff") negligence claim. The matter was fully briefed by the parties, and I heard oral argument during a telephonic hearing on July 5, 2018. I have reviewed the pleadings, evidence of the parties, and arguments, and the matter is now ripe for disposition. For the reasons stated herein, I find that Hargrave was organized and does operate with a charitable purpose, and that Plaintiff was a beneficiary of Hargrave's charity at the time of his injury. Accordingly, Hargrave is entitled to the immunity afforded by the charitable immunity doctrine, and its motion for summary judgment will be granted.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Hargrave is a military boarding school located in Chatham, Va. In December of *5432013, Plaintiff, a Maryland resident, was a student at Hargrave and was a member of Hargrave's junior varsity basketball team. During practice on December 4, 2013, Coach Tom Messenger required Plaintiff to run a drill which required him to drive to the basket while Messenger stood in his path with a pad to simulate a defender. While driving past Messenger, Messenger hit Plaintiff with the pad and caused him to fall. Plaintiff injured his knee.

Coach Walker took Plaintiff to the hospital, and he was diagnosed with a knee sprain. He was told to avoid military formations, drills, and basketball, and was further instructed to rest and ice his knee. Plaintiff left the hospital on crutches. During his recovery, Robert Spears,1 a Teacher and Counselor ("TAC") Officer with duties that included overseeing barracks life and enforcing Hargrave's rules and policies, required Plaintiff to march and perform drills. As part of the drills, Plaintiff was required to crawl and bend his knee and carry a heavy rifle. Despite his complaints and swelling leg, Spears required Plaintiff to complete the drills as instructed. When Plaintiff complained that the drills were aggravating his knee injury, Hargrave's staff did not return Plaintiff to the hospital for follow-up care. Rather, he was seen and treated by Hargrave's team trainer.

Plaintiff's parents picked him up for break on December 20, approximately two weeks after his injury.2 Upon his return to Maryland, he was seen by an orthopedic surgeon on December 26 and diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament ("ACL"). Plaintiff underwent surgery on his knee on January 17, 2014, and followed up with post-operative care for approximately one year.

Plaintiff filed suit in this Court on August 11, 2017, asserting a single count of negligence against Hargrave. He is ostensibly proceeding pro se.3 On May 23, 2018, Plaintiff filed a Motion for Leave to File an Amended Complaint [ECF No. 26], seeking to add a claim for gross negligence. That same day, Hargrave filed the present Motion for Summary Judgment [ECF No. 28], arguing that the doctrine of charitable immunity applies and bars Plaintiff's action for simple negligence. On May 31, Plaintiff filed a Supplemental Motion for Leave to File an Amended Complaint [ECF No. 34], which sought to add both a claim of gross negligence and a claim of negligent hiring/retention.4 I held a telephonic hearing on the Motions for Leave on June 16; Plaintiff did not participate.5 Later that day, I entered an Order denying the Motions for Leave to File an Amended Complaint [ECF No. 48.] At that time, I stated that a "Memorandum Opinion setting forth the basis for this decision will be forthcoming."

As to Hargrave's Motion for Summary Judgment, the matter was fully briefed by the parties and I heard oral argument on *544the Motion by telephone on July 5, 2018. I have fully reviewed the briefs, argument, and evidence of the parties, and this Opinion sets for the reasoning for my decisions on both the Motions for Leave to Amend and the Motion for Summary Judgment.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Plaintiff, who is proceeding pro se , is entitled to a certain level of deference in his pleadings by virtue of his status as an unrepresented litigant. See Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94, 127 S.Ct. 2197, 167 L.Ed.2d 1081 (2007) (quoting Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 106, 97 S.Ct. 285, 50 L.Ed.2d 251 (1976) ). However, "the requirement of liberal construction [of pleadings for pro se parties] does not mean that the court can ignore a clear failure in the pleadings to allege facts which set forth a federal claim, nor can the court assume the existence of a genuine issue of material fact where none exists." Knowles v. S. C.D.C., No. 2:09-1921-MBS, 2010 WL 2990157, at *3 (D.S.C. July 29, 2010).

A court should grant leave to file an amended complaint freely "when justice so requires...." Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). "[L]eave to amend a pleading should be denied," however, "when the amendment would be prejudicial to the opposing party, there has been bad faith on the part of the moving party, or the amendment would have been futile." Johnson v. Oroweat Foods Co., 785 F.2d 503, 509 (4th Cir. 1986) (citing Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962) ). "[D]elay alone is not sufficient reason to deny leave to amend. The delay must be accompanied by prejudice, bad faith, or futility." Id. at 509-10 (citing Davis v. Piper Aircraft Co.,

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Bluebook (online)
328 F. Supp. 3d 539, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/agbaje-v-hargrave-military-acad-vawd-2018.