Bland v. Madison County, Fla.

895 F. Supp. 1515, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6417, 1995 WL 457816
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Florida
DecidedApril 19, 1995
DocketTCA 93-40332-WS
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 895 F. Supp. 1515 (Bland v. Madison County, Fla.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bland v. Madison County, Fla., 895 F. Supp. 1515, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6417, 1995 WL 457816 (N.D. Fla. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT

STAFFORD, District Judge.

Before the court are defendant Madison County Florida’s (“the County”) motion for summary judgment (document 54) and plaintiffs response thereto (document 57). The County has also filed a supplemental memorandum of law (document 73) to which plaintiff has replied (document 74).

In her complaint, plaintiff alleges the County violated her rights to procedural due process, substantive due process, and freedom of speech when she was suspended and then discharged from her job as an Emergency Medical Technician. The County moves for summary judgment on all three counts of the complaint.

I. Facts:

In the fall of 1991, plaintiff was hired by the County as a part-time Emergency Medical Technician (“EMT”). Document 2, ¶4. On April 21,1992, plaintiffs employment was upgraded to a full-time EMT. During the period after plaintiff was hired on a full-time basis, April 21, 1992, through January 28, 1993, plaintiff was informally spoken to, disciplined and reprimanded by her immediate supervisor, EMS Director Juan Botino (“Bo-tino”), three times. The first incident involved a fellow worker’s comment to Director Botino concerning plaintiff returning an am- *1517 bulanee after her shift with a near empty tank. Document 54, plaintiffs deposition at 86-87. In response to the incident, Director Botino, in passing, mentioned to plaintiff that she “should fill the tank or have the assigned first responder fill it.” Document 57, attachment 1 at 3. The second incident involved a local newspaper reporter, Robbie Burnett [“Burnett”], complaint to Botino concerning a comment that plaintiff had made regarding whether people in Greenville, Florida, could read. 1 In response to the complaint, Botino issued plaintiff a report of employee counseling and record of verbal warning. Document 55, exhibit F. 2 The third incident involved plaintiff smoking a cigarette at an accident scene. Document 55, composite exhibit G. In response to this incident, plaintiff was given a record of verbal warning in which plaintiff was advised by Botino that the above conduct was unprofessional and that he, Botino, was aware that most of plaintiffs co-workers did not want to work with her. 3 Id. Botino also informed plaintiff that he was extending her probationary status by 6 months. Document 55, composite exhibit G. 4

On January 28, 1993, plaintiff was on duty when she received a dispatch to respond to an emergency call. Plaintiff, along with a first responder, was to meet the Madison ambulance Unit at a gasoline station located at Interstate 10 and State Road 221 to take a patient to Tallahassee. Upon picking up the first responder Doris Boothe (“Boothe”) at her service station, plaintiff pulled out of the same on to U.S. 90 and proceeded to the gasoline station located at State Road 221 and Interstate 10. The County maintains that when plaintiff pulled out of Boothe’s service station to cross U.S. 90 she neither had her emergency lights nor sirens turned on. Plaintiff asserts that the emergency lights on the ambulance were flashing. Document 57, attachment 1 at ¶ 6. Both parties agree that before picking up the patient from the Madison Unit, plaintiff was informed by radio that the need to do so no longer existed.

Upon returning to Boothe’s service station U.S. 90 was blocked off. There had been a spill of hog entrails and blood on the road. There was also a large semi-truck parked in the parking lot of the Swannee Swifty Store located on U.S. 90. Plaintiff stopped her vehicle and asked the police officer at the scene, Dan Herring (“Herring”), whether he needed help identifying the contents of the spill. Plaintiff then parked her unit and got out of the same and continued to talk to Herring. During the course of the conversation, Herring informed plaintiff that the driver of the semi-truck had told another officer, Craig Norris [“Norris”], that an ambulance had caused the spill when it pulled out in front of him. Plaintiff asserts that she did not see a truck when she pulled out of Boothe’s service station. Id. Plaintiff maintains that officer Herring did not believe the truck driver and that he, Herring, told her “we’ll just write it off.” Id. After talking to Herring, plaintiff left the spill scene, dropped *1518 off the first responder and returned to the Greenville EMS station.

Later that evening Officer Norris went to the EMS station to fill out a report on the spill. Officer Norris asked plaintiff for her driver’s license and for insurance information. Plaintiff was not issued a traffic citation. Id. ¶ 7. Plaintiff thought Norris needed the information only to document the spill. Despite officer Norris’ inquiry, plaintiff did not fill out an EMS incident report and did not talk to her supervisor, Botino, regarding the spill. Plaintiff maintains she did not do so because she did not believe that such type incidents had to be reported. She alleges that she was never told that such incidents had to be reported.

On January 30,1993, plaintiffs friend, L.J. Epifanio (“Epifanio”), was killed in a traffic accident in Madison County, Florida. The Madison County EMS team responded to the accident scene and immediately began CPR. Id. at exhibits J and K. EMS Director Botino was present at the scene and assisted in the CPR of Epifanio. Plaintiff asserts that she was told by a non-county employee, Nathaniel Bland (“Bland”), that CPR had been stopped at the accident scene. Plaintiff asserts that the above was done without pri- or physician approval. Id. at ¶ 8.

On the morning of February 1, 1993, after plaintiff had finished her shift, plaintiff confronted Director Botino in his office as to why CPR had been stopped on L.J. Epifanio. Plaintiff told Botino that she knew that a paramedic was not authorized to stop CPR without prior physician approval. During the course of this conversation plaintiff alleges that Botino became agitated and walked out of the room. Id. at ¶ 9. Later that afternoon, Botino called plaintiff and inquired as to the January 28th spill on U.S. 90. Botino accused plaintiff of negligent operation of a vehicle, endangering lives of others, failure to report an accident to her supervisor, and unprofessional conduct at a scene of an accident. Id. at exhibit C. The allegations were contained in a letter Botino had drafted. Over the phone, Botino ordered plaintiff to meet him and County Coordinator Cohen Bond (“Bond”) in Bond’s office the next day.

During the meeting the next day, plaintiff was again questioned concerning the January 28th spill and was shown a letter delivered to EMS from officer Herring regarding the same. Plaintiff subsequently asked to stop the meeting so she could obtain an attorney. Botino explained that plaintiff had to write down her account of the January 28th spill. Plaintiff was then suspended without pay until a written response was received.

On February 8, 1993, plaintiff submitted her written response and requested permission to continue working.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
895 F. Supp. 1515, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6417, 1995 WL 457816, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bland-v-madison-county-fla-flnd-1995.