Crochran ex rel. Shields v. Columbus City Schools

278 F. Supp. 3d 1013
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio
DecidedOctober 4, 2017
DocketCivil Action 2:15-cv-632
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 278 F. Supp. 3d 1013 (Crochran ex rel. Shields v. Columbus City Schools) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crochran ex rel. Shields v. Columbus City Schools, 278 F. Supp. 3d 1013 (S.D. Ohio 2017).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

EDMUND A. SARGUS, JR., UNITED STATES DISTRICT CHIEF JUDGE

This matter is before the Court on Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment (ECF No. 77), Plaintiffs’ Memorandum in Opposition (ECF No. 79), Defendants’ Reply in Support (ECF No. 91), as well as Defendants’ Motion in Limine to .exclude testimony of Sarah Silverman (ECF No. 90), Plaintiffs’ Motion in Limine to exclude testimony of Noelle Witherspoon Arnold, Ph.D. (ECF No. 92), Defendants’ Motion to Strike (ECF No. 94), and Plaintiffs’ Motion to Strike. (ECF No. 93.) For the reasons that follow, Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART as moot (ECF No. 77), Defendants’ Motion in Li-mine is DENIED as moot (ECF No. 90), Plaintiffs’ Motion in Limine is DENIED as-moot (ECF No. 92), Defendants’ Motion to Strike is DENIED at moot, and Plaintiffs Motion to Strike is DENIED at moot. (ECF No. 93.)

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, Naqis Crochran (“N.C.” or “Plaintiff’) brings this suit through his mother and next friend, Amatullah Shields (together, “Plaintiffs”), against special education teacher Courtney Plummer (“Ms. Plummer”) and her employers, the Columbus Board of Education (“CBE”) and Columbus City Schools (“CCS”). N.C. alleges violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violations of his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, and under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. (“IDEA”), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C, § 794, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1201 et seq. (“ADA”), as well as state claims for tor-tious., conduct. Defendants move for summary judgment on all claims.

II. FACTS

N.C. attended Fifth grade at South Mifflin STEM academy .(“SMSA”). (Pis.’ ■ Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Pis.’ Opp.”) at 9, ECF No. 79.) He has been diagnosed with autism and ADHDy and at the time of the incident, was a student in Ms. Plummer’s special education class. Ms. Plummer taught special education grades four through six at SMSA. (Id. at 11.) She has an undergraduate degree in early education and a master’s degree in intervention, which she received as an intervention specialist for kindergarten through twelfth .grade. (Plummer Dep. 6:20-23, ECF No. 77-4.) N.C. had been Ms. Plummer’s student for over a year at the time of the incident.

Ms. Plummer testified at her deposition that on February 20, 2013, N.C. was acting in a disruptive manner, which she described as uncharacteristic of him. (Plum-mer Dep. 20:1-18.) She explained her typical classroom management system, “a stoplight system” which has built-in rewards and consequences, normally worked with N.C. (Plummer Dep. 2016-18; 22:2-5.) On this occasion, however, she reported that N.C. did not respond well to the stoplight system and he continued to act out, laughing, interacting negatively with other students, and jumping up and spinning around. (Plummer Dep. 19:22-24; 20:1-3; 22:6-7.) When her normal system did not work to help regulate N.C.’s behavior, Ms. Plummer’s co-worker, a fellow special education teacher Laura Shearer suggested she use a body sox to help calm N.C. (Plummer Dep. 22:8-14.)

Ms. Shearer has an autistic son who responds well to use of the body sox. She explained, “[m]y son, much like [N.C.], is very sensory seeking. Anybody who’s familiar with autism knows that [the body sox is] a sensory tool used to put pressure on a child.... It is a four-way, breathable lycra band that the child steps into and stretches.” (Shearer Dep. 6:16-21.) As illustrated in the images below, the body sox. can be used in a manner that covers the user’s face or leaves . the face exposed. If the child’s face is covered, he or she can still “discern outside shapes.” (Exhibit 10, 77-1.) The opening is velcro, which allows for easy entries and exits. (Id.) The body sox further forms around the child’s arms in loose sleeves, allowing the child full use of- his or her arms. The user’s arms are therefore in no way restrained by the body sox, and the child is able to use his or her arms to open or close the velcro opening. (Id.; Shearer Dep. 17:13-17 (“I would not call it a restraint, because a child can move about freely and can breathe freely.”).)

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(Exhibit 10, 77-1.) Ms. Shearer first learned about body sox from her son’s pediatrician. She described the sensory effect on children wearing the body sox, stating “it causes them to have like a massage feeling much like a weighted vest, but all over their body.” (Shearer Dep. 7:2-4.) Prior to the incident Ms. Plummer had seen the body sox used on a regular basis. Her first job as a special education teacher was at a school for children with autism. She testified, “there was a child who wore a body sock almost every single day, he walked classroom to classroom in it.. .it helped him to be calm and regulate himself.” (Plummer Dep. 27:5-12.) Ms. Shearer similarly testified that the school her son attends uses the body sox as a sensory tool for autistic students. (Shearer Dep. 16:17-22.)

■The special education classroom had one body sox, property of the school, Ms. Shearer said was in her closet with other sensory tools. (Shearer Dep. 5:7-23.) Earlier on the same day as the incident, the body sox had been used with a different studfent, which N.C. witnessed. (Plummer Dep. 26:15-19; N.C. Dep. 22:20-24.) After suggesting that Ms. Plummer use the body sox with N.C., Ms. Shearer explained how to use it. (Shearer Dep. 18:15-19.) Ms. Shearer then left the room to attend to another student. (Id.)

Ms. Plummer' testified that she asked N.C. if he wanted to wear the body sox and that he replied “yes.” (Plummer Dep. 22:12-13.) She then held it open for him while he stepped into it. (Plummer Dep. 2213-14; N.C. Dep. 23:9-11 (Q. “Okay. Did you step into the purple sock yourself?” A. “Yes. And she said, “Hold still. Don’t be stretchy.”; 23:15-17 (Q. “Did anybody help you get in the purple sock, or did you get in it yourself?” A. “I get in it myself,”)).) While wearing the body sox, N.C. began moving his feet. (PL’s Opp. at 14.) Ms. Plummer told N.C. to stand still, however, within seconds N.C. fell. (Plummer Dep. 22:14-16; N.C. Dep. 24:18-20.) When he fell, N:C. hit the floor with his face. (Pis.’ Opp. at 14.) He was then brought to the school nurse, Mary Ramming for first aid. (Id.)

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Summary judgment is appropriate “if the movant shows that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and the mov-ant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). The Court may therefore grant a motion for summary judgment if the nonmoving party who has the burden of proof at trial fails to make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element that is essential to that party’s case. Celotex Corp. v.

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Related

Shields v. Plummer
2020 Ohio 5449 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
278 F. Supp. 3d 1013, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crochran-ex-rel-shields-v-columbus-city-schools-ohsd-2017.