Berthiaume v. Caron

973 F. Supp. 29, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11596, 1997 WL 456578
CourtDistrict Court, D. Maine
DecidedJuly 10, 1997
DocketCivil No. 94-86-P-C
StatusPublished

This text of 973 F. Supp. 29 (Berthiaume v. Caron) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berthiaume v. Caron, 973 F. Supp. 29, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11596, 1997 WL 456578 (D. Me. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION ON DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

GENE CARTER, District Judge.

Plaintiff Norman L. Berthiaume alleges that his federal civil rights, secured by the United States Constitution, to substantive and procedural due process, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Count I), as well as his right to be free from unreasonable searches, as secured by the Maine Constitution, 5 M.R.S.A. § 4682 (Count II) were violated by Defendants Jean Caron, Betty B. Clark, James D. Bivins, and William T. O’Donohue. Fourth Amended Complaint (Docket No. 45). In addition, Plaintiff raises a negligence claim against Defendant William T. O’Donohue (Count III).1 Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages (Count IV) from Defendants. All of the claims arise out of a “penile plethysmograph” test which Plaintiff alleges he was forced to undergo as a condition of his continued professional licensure as a nurse following his criminal conviction on a federal charge of importation of obscene material.

Defendant Clark was the Chair of the Maine Board of Nursing (the “Board”) at the time of the events set forth in the Fourth Amended Complaint. Defendant Caron was the Executive Director of the Board.2 Defendant Bivins was the Assistant Attorney General who advised the Board. Defendant O’Donohue is the individual who was retained by the Board to evaluate Plaintiff and to administer the test at issue. Defendants have each moved separately for summary judgment on Plaintiffs claims against them under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the analogous provision of the Maine Civil Rights Act, 5 M.R.S.A. § 4682, arguing that he or she is entitled to absolute immunity or, in the alternative, qualified immunity. The Defendants also challenge Plaintiffs claim for punitive damages. In addition, Defendant O’Donohue contends that Plaintiff is required to comply with the terms of the Maine Health Security Act, 24 M.R.S.A. § 2501 et seq., in order to proceed with his negligence claim and that his failure to provide notice of claim as required by section 2903 of the Act, as well as the Act’s statute of limitations, section 2902, bar this claim.

The Court referred the case to Magistrate Judge Cohen for a recommended decision on the summary judgment motions. In his Recommended Decision (Docket No. 82) Judge Cohen concluded that the Defendants are entitled to absolute immunity under federal and state law for their actions in this case. In addition, Judge Cohen recommended that Defendant O’Donohue was entitled to summary judgment on Plaintiffs negligence claim because the applicable statute of limitation had expired. The matter is now before the Court for review of the Recommended Decision on the objections thereto.

I. FACTS

The facts viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiff are as follows: At all times relevant to this proceeding, Plaintiff was licensed by the Board to practice nursing in Maine. Plaintiff’s Statement of Material Facts in Opposition to Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 78), Affidavit of Norman L. Berthiaume, Ex. A ¶ 2. In January 1990, the United States Attorney charged Plaintiff with a violation of federal law involving receipt through the mail of a videotape allegedly containing child pornography. ■ Id. ¶ 3. Plaintiff notified the Board of the charges against him prior to their disposition. Id. ¶ 4. Sometime in late spring or early summer 1990, Plaintiff submitted to the Board an application for renewal of his nursing license. Id. ¶ 5. In July 1990, Plaintiff entered a guilty plea to the criminal charge of violating 18 U.S.C. § 1462, prohibiting the importation of obscene matter. Id. [32]*32¶ 6. Plaintiff received a sentence of two years’ probation and a fine of $2,000. Id. ¶ 6; Deposition of James D. Bivins, Ex. 5. As a condition of his probation, Plaintiff was required to submit to psychological counseling. Berthiaume Aff. ¶ 7; Bivins Dep., Ex. 5.

In September 1990, Defendant Caron notified Plaintiff that an informal conference with the Board was scheduled for November 8, 1990.3 Berthiaume Aff. ¶ 9. Plaintiff and his counsel were present at the November 8, 1990, informal conference. Deposition of Robert E. Hirshon, Ex. 1 at 2. The Board conducted the conference in executive session, after which the panel made the following findings of fact on the record:

a. Licensee states that this was an isolated incident. The U.S. District Judge who sentenced Mr. Berthiaume apparently agreed.
b. Licensee voluntarily began and continues in psychological counseling.
c. Court documents indicate there is no prior history of any same or similar acts by Licensee.
d. Licensee has a good work history.
e. [The sentencing judge] stated “I really get very clearly the picture there is no indication whatever of this person being involved in the abuse of children sexually or otherwise.”
f. Licensee has voluntarily restricted his practice to adults, pending final resolution of this matter.
g. Licensee has plead guilty to importation of obscene matter in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1462. Licensee was sentenced to two years probation, a $2,000 fine and was ordered to submit to counseling.
h. Many letters of support have been submitted to the Board on behalf of Licensee.
i.Dr. Roger Ginn, a psychologist, evaluated Licensee and concluded that psychological testing did not point to any significant psychological or emotional problems which would adversely affect his
functioning or suggest that he is at any risk at all to anyone in the community.

Statement of Material Facts in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendants Murray, Twombly, Vampatella, Pray, and Fisher (Docket No. 16), Ex. 5 at 2-3. The Board, however, adjourned the informal conference without voting on the renewal of his license, in order for Plaintiff to obtain “an independent [psychological] evaluation.”4 Berthiaume Aff. ¶ 13; Statement of Material Facts in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendants Murray, Twombly, Vampatella, Pray, and Fisher, Ex. 5 at 3. Pending the outcome of the independent psychological examination, the Board placed Plaintiffs license on probation and limited his practice to patients 18 years of age or older, a limitation that Plaintiff had already undertaken voluntarily, Statement of Material Facts in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment by Defendants Murray, Twombly, Vampatella, Pray, and Fisher, Ex. 5 at 3.

Subsequent to the November 8 meeting, Defendant Bivins, the Assistant Attorney General advising the Board, contacted two psychologists, one of whom recommended Defendant O’Donohue, a member of the faculty at the University of Maine at Orono. Bivins Deposition at 43-45; Deposition of William O’Donohue at 41. Defendant Caron contacted Defendant O’Donohue about conducting an examination of Plaintiff. Deposition of Jean C. Caron at 84-85.

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Bluebook (online)
973 F. Supp. 29, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11596, 1997 WL 456578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berthiaume-v-caron-med-1997.