Concepcion-Torres ex rel. J.L.C. v. Puerto Rico

45 F. Supp. 3d 170, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132122, 2014 WL 4628887
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedSeptember 17, 2014
DocketCivil No. 14-1494 (FAB)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 45 F. Supp. 3d 170 (Concepcion-Torres ex rel. J.L.C. v. Puerto Rico) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Concepcion-Torres ex rel. J.L.C. v. Puerto Rico, 45 F. Supp. 3d 170, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132122, 2014 WL 4628887 (prd 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER1

BESOSA, District Judge.

Before the Court is defendants’ motion to dismiss. (Docket No. 6.) For the reasons discussed below, and after considering the motion to dismiss and plaintiffs’ reply, the Court DENIES the motion to dismiss.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural Background

On June 23, 2014, plaintiff Aleida Con-eepcion-Torres filed a complaint personally and on behalf of her minor son, J.L.C., alleging claims pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), codified at 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400-1482, against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Department of Education of Puerto Rico (“DOE”). (Docket No. 1.) On August 5, 2014, defendants filed a motion to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) (“Rule 12(b)(6)”), arguing that plaintiffs’ claims are barred by the relevant statute of limitations. (Docket No. 6.) On August 11, 2014, plaintiffs filed a response contending that the claim is not time-barred because the statutory period of three years established by article 1867 of the Puerto Rico Civil Code, Laws of P.R. Ann. Tit. 31 § 5297(1), applies. (Docket No. 7.)

B. Factual Background

Plaintiff is the mother and legal custodian of nine-year old J.L.C., who is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”) and registered with the DOE as a child with a disability. (Docket No. 1 at ¶¶ 2, 6, 8 and 10.) Accordingly, J.L.C. is qualified by federal and state law to participate in the academic and related services program of the public education system administered by the DOE. Id. at ¶ 12.

On September 30, 2013 plaintiff filed, on J.L.C.’s behalf, an administrative complaint requesting that DOE cover the costs for enrolling J.L.C. in Colegio Dr. Roque Diaz-Tizol, a private school. (Docket No. 1 at ¶ 18.) On December 10, 2013, Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Ortiz-Iri-[172]*172zarry ordered the DOE to place J.L.C. in the private institution at public cost and to reimburse the total cost incurred by the parents for his education during the preceding two years. Id. at ¶ 20. No appeal was filed and the resolution became final. Id. at ¶ 21.

On June 23, 2014, plaintiffs, as the prevailing party, filed this action pursuant to section 1415(i)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the IDEA, requesting the payment of the attorney’s fees, costs and expenses incurred in the administrative proceeding, as well as additional fees and costs spent in this litigation. Id. at ¶ 26.

II. RULE 12(b)(6) STANDARD

When considering a motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), the Court construes the complaint liberally, treating all alleged facts as true and drawing all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff. Aversa v. United States, 99 F.3d 1200, 1210 (1st Cir.1996). While a complaint attacked by a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss “does not need detailed factual allegations,” it must set forth “more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007). “Factual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level ... on the assumption that all of the complaint’s allegations are true.” Id. (internal citations omitted). Thus, “a plaintiff is not entitled to ‘proceed perforce’ by virtue of allegations that merely parrot the elements of the cause of action.” Ocasio-Hernandez v. Fortuno-Burset, 640 F.3d 1, 12 (1st Cir.2011). “[N]on-conclusory factual allegations in the complaint must be treated as true, [however,] even if seemingly incredible.” Id. (citing Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009)). Where those factual allegations “ ‘allow[ ] the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged,’ the claim has facial plausibility.” Id. (quoting Iqbal, 556 U.S at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937). As a result, “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.” Iqbal, 556 U.S at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (internal quotations and citations omitted).

“Affirmative defenses, such as the statute of limitations, may be raised in a motion to dismiss under [Rule 12(b)(6) ], provided that ‘the facts establishing the defense [are] clear on the face of the plaintiffs pleadings.’ ” Trans-Spec Truck Serv., Inc. v. Caterpillar, Inc., 524 F.3d 315, 320 (1st Cir.2008) (quoting Blackstone Realty LLC v. FDIC, 244 F.3d 193, 197 (1st Cir.2001)). Dismissal is appropriate where the dates indicated by the complaint establish that the statute of limitations has run, and “the complaint fails to sketch a factual predicate that would warrant the application of either a different statute of limitations period or equitable estoppel.” Id.

III. DISCUSSION

Defendants move to dismiss the complaint as time-barred. Because the IDEA does not specify a statute of limitations for attorneys’ fees actions, they contend that the Court should apply by analogy the time limit of 30 days established by Puerto Rico’s Uniform Administrative Procedure Act (“UAPA”). Defendants assert that application of UAPA’s 30-day statute of limitations is appropriate, reasonable, and consonant with public policy. (Docket No. 6.)

Defendants rely on Amann v. Town of Stow, 991 F.2d 929 (1st Cir.1993), to support their position that the 30-day limita[173]*173tions period applies in this case. In Am-ann, the First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the application of the 30-day limitations period borrowed from the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act, finding it consistent with IDEA’S goals. Id. at 931. There, however, the court applied the borrowed statute of limitations to a different section of the IDEA, not the attorneys’ fees provision at issue here. Id.

In response, plaintiffs contend that defendants’ suggested 30-day term violates the procedural safeguards of the IDEA and should not be applied. Plaintiffs argue that the UAPA’s provisions contradict many IDEA provisions because the two texts contain incongruent procedures. For instance, the IDEA grants a 90-day period within which to file a civil action to review an administrative decision, while the UAPA is stricter with a 30-day statute of limitations.

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Bluebook (online)
45 F. Supp. 3d 170, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 132122, 2014 WL 4628887, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/concepcion-torres-ex-rel-jlc-v-puerto-rico-prd-2014.