AKC ex rel. Carroll v. Lawton Independent School District No. 8

9 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40054, 2014 WL 1271218
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 26, 2014
DocketCase No. CIV-13-407-M
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 9 F. Supp. 3d 1240 (AKC ex rel. Carroll v. Lawton Independent School District No. 8) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
AKC ex rel. Carroll v. Lawton Independent School District No. 8, 9 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40054, 2014 WL 1271218 (W.D. Okla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER

VICKI MILES-LaGRANGE, Chief Judge.

Before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss by Defendants Lynn Fitz (“Fitz”) and John Whittington (“Whittington”) with Combined Brief in Support (“Mtn. to Dis.”), filed May 30, 2018. Plaintiffs filed their response (“Pis.’ Resp.”) on June 20, 2013, and Fitz and Whittington replied on June 26, 2013. Based on the parties’ submissions, the Court makes its determination.

I. Introduction

Plaintiffs, Ted and Bella Carroll, the parents and next friends of AKC \ bring this action on behalf of their minor daughter alleging several claims against Lawton Independent School District No. 8 (“the District”), Vickie Cantrell (“Cantrell”), AKC’s teacher; Fitz, Director of Special Services at the District; and Whittington, Chief of School Security at the District. Plaintiffs allege that in late May of 2012, Mr. Carroll discovered AKC had been injured at school. Compl. ¶ 16. Plaintiffs allege they were told by a teacher’s aide assigned to AKC, that AKC “was subjected to ‘punishments,’ which included: (1) physically battering AKC and tearing AKC’s underwear; and (2) abusing AKC by placing her in a dark closet as punishment.” Compl. ¶ 17. Further, plaintiffs allege that the teacher’s aides in AKC’s class were prohibited by Cantrell from speaking to parents about matters concerning the students without Cantrell being present. Plaintiffs allege that Cantrell “threatened the teacher’s aides with their jobs if they informed the parents, including the Carrolls, about the punishments.” Compl. ¶ 18.

Plaintiffs further allege that the school’s principal, as well as Fitz and Whittington, were aware of Cantrell’s conduct and that plaintiffs were never notified of any disciplinary issues involving AKC. Plaintiffs allege that as a result of Cantrell’s conduct and the District’s inaction, AKC refuses to go into the school and gets upset and agitated when she enters the building, and that her overall academic progress has been impacted, as well as her ability to [1243]*1243participate in the educational process. Plaintiffs allege that, as a result of these punishments, they have suffered damages, such as medical bills, and AKC’s academic achievement has been significantly impacted, requiring AKC to receive tutoring to bring her to the appropriate academic level.

Based on these allegations, plaintiffs assert claims of negligence and conspiracy against Fitz and Whittington. Fitz and Whittington move this Court to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6).

II. Standard for Dismissal

Regarding the standard for determining whether to dismiss a claim pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), the United States Supreme Court has held:

To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face. A claim has facial plausibility when the plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged. The plausibility standard is not akin to a “probability requirement,” but it asks for more than a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully. Where a complaint pleads facts that are merely consistent with a defendant’s liability, it stops short of the line between possibility and plausibility of entitlement to relief.

Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (internal quotations and citations omitted). Further, “where the well-pleaded facts do not permit the court to infer more than the mere possibility of misconduct, the complaint has alleged — but it has not shown— that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Id. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (internal quotations and citations omitted). Additionally, “[a] pleading that offers labels and conclusions or a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do. Nor does a complaint suffice if it tenders naked assertion[s] devoid of further factual enhancement.” Id. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (internal quotations and citations omitted). “While the 12(b)(6) standard does not require that Plaintiff establish a prima facie case in her complaint, the elements of each alleged cause of action help to determine whether Plaintiff has set forth a plausible claim.” Khalik v. United Air Lines, 671 F.3d 1188, 1192 (10th Cir.2012). Finally, “[a] court reviewing the sufficiency of a complaint presumes all of plaintiffs factual allegations are true and construes them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.” Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1109 (10th Cir.1991).

III. Discussion

A. Negligence

It is well established that the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act (“GTCA”) is the exclusive remedy for an injured plaintiff to recover against a governmental entity in tort. Tuffy’s, Inc. v. City of Okla. City, 212 P.3d 1158, 1163 (Okla.2009). Under the GTCA, a governmental entity is liable for torts for which a private person would be liable, unless the torts are committed outside the course and scope of employment .or unless they are committed in bad faith or in a malicious manner. Id. Scope of employment is defined as an act where the employee performed the act in good faith within the duties of his office or employment. Id. More specifically, an employee is said to be acting within the scope of émployment if the employee is doing that which is customary within the particular trade, engaging in work assigned, or doing that which [1244]*1244is proper, necessary and usual to accomplish the work assigned. Id.

Fitz and Whittington assert that plaintiffs have “failed to specifically allege that they engaged in conduct outside their scope of employment or that a ‘special relationship’ or ‘duty’ existed between the plaintiffs and Fitz and Whittington outside the school setting.” Mtn. to Dis. at 3. Plaintiffs assert that the GTCA does not protect Fitz and Whittington because they engaged in willful and wanton conduct. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals found in Hull v. Wellston Indep. Sch. Dist. I 004, 46 P.3d 180 (Okla.Civ.App.2001) that:

Although officers and employees of governmental agencies, including the State are protected from tort liability while performing discretionary functions within the scope of their employment, such protection does not render such employees immune from liability for willful and wanton negligence or conduct which places the employees outside the scope of their employment.

Id. at 184. The Oklahoma Supreme Court defined wanton as:

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9 F. Supp. 3d 1240, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40054, 2014 WL 1271218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/akc-ex-rel-carroll-v-lawton-independent-school-district-no-8-okwd-2014.