Damon Anderson v. T. Cisneros, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedApril 15, 2026
Docket1:25-cv-00549
StatusUnknown

This text of Damon Anderson v. T. Cisneros, et al. (Damon Anderson v. T. Cisneros, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Damon Anderson v. T. Cisneros, et al., (E.D. Cal. 2026).

Opinion

7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 9

10 DAMON ANDERSON, Case No. 1:25-cv-00549-EPG (PC)

11 Plaintiff, FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THIS CASE PROCEED ONLY ON 12 v. PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS OF UNREASONABLE SEARCH IN 13 T. CISNEROS, et al., VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AGAINST DEFENDANTS C. WILSON, J. CORTEZ, AND LARIOS 14 Defendants. AND RETALIATION AGAINST

DEFENDANT C. WILSON 15 (ECF NO. 12) 16 OBJECTIONS, IF ANY, DUE WITHIN 17 THIRTY (30) DAYS

18 ORDER DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO ASSIGN A DISTRICT JUDGE 19 20 Plaintiff Damon Anderson is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in 21 this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. In his First Amended Complaint, Plaintiff sues five prison officials, alleging that they conducted unreasonable and sexually harassing 22 unclothed body searches, some of which were recorded on officer Body-Worn Cameras 23 (“BWC”). 24 After reviewing the amended complaint, the Court recommends permitting Plaintiff to 25 proceed only on the claims of unreasonable searches in violation of the Fourth Amendment 26 against Defendants C. Wilson, J. Cortez, and Larios and retaliation in violation of the First 27 Amendment against Defendant C. Wilson. The Court will recommend that all other claims and 1 Defendants be dismissed with prejudice and without further leave to amend. 2 I. SCREENING REQUIREMENT 3 The Court is required to screen complaints brought by prisoners seeking relief against a 4 governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). The Court must dismiss a complaint, or a portion of it, if the prisoner has raised claims that are 5 frivolous or malicious, that fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, or that seek 6 monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(b)(1), (2). 7 A complaint is required to contain “a short and plain statement of the claim showing 8 that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). Detailed factual allegations are not 9 required, but “[t]hreadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere 10 conclusory statements, do not suffice.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (citing Bell 11 Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). A plaintiff must set forth “sufficient 12 factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Id. 13 (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). The mere possibility of misconduct falls short of meeting 14 this plausibility standard. Id. at 679. While a plaintiff’s allegations are taken as true, courts “are 15 not required to indulge unwarranted inferences.” Doe I v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 572 F.3d 677, 16 681 (9th Cir. 2009) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). Additionally, a plaintiff’s 17 legal conclusions are not accepted as true. Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678. 18 Pleadings of pro se plaintiffs “must be held to less stringent standards than formal 19 pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Hebbe v. Pliler, 627 F.3d 338, 342 (9th Cir. 2010) (holding that 20 pro se complaints should continue to be liberally construed after Iqbal). 21 II. FIRST SCREENING ORDER 22 Plaintiff filed the original complaint in this case on May 8, 2025. (ECF No. 1). The Court screened Plaintiff’s initial complaint and determined that he stated only the following 23 claims: unreasonable unclothed body searches in violation of the Fourth Amendment against 24 Defendants Wilson, Cortez, and Larios. (ECF No. 9 at 10). The Court reviewed the legal 25 standards for Plaintiff’s claims and noted where he failed to provide sufficient facts to assert 26 such claims. The screening order gave Plaintiff thirty days to notify the Court that he wanted to 27 proceed only on his cognizable claims, file an amended complaint, or notify the Court that he 1 wanted to stand on his complaint and have it reviewed by a District Judge. 2 In response, Plaintiff filed an amended complaint on February 20, 2026. (ECF No. 12). 3 III. SUMMARY OF FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT1 4 Plaintiff states that the events described in his First Amended Complaint occurred at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (“SATF”) in Corcoran, California. He names the 5 following, as Defendants: (1) T. Cisneros, SATF Warden; (2) C. Wilson, correctional officer; 6 (3) C. Gipson,2 “SECRETARY CDCR [California Department of Corrections and 7 Rehabilitation]”; (4) J. Cortez, correctional officer; and (6) Larios, correctional officer. (ECF 8 No. 12 at 1-2). 9 The amended complaint either identifies, or implicates, the following legal claims: (1) 10 unreasonable unclothed body searches and recording of those searches, in violation of the 11 Fourth Amendment; (2) sexual harassment in violation of the Eighth Amendment; (3) 12 retaliation in violation of the First Amendment; and (4) supervisory liability. Specifically, 13 Plaintiff alleges the following: 14 On or about July 27, 2021, Defendant C. Gipson implemented a policy that 15 required officers at SATF prison to wear BWC (body worn cameras). Defendant Gipson, who was the Director of CDCR was responsible for 16 implementing policies [and] put out a signed memorandum on June 2, 2021, 17 to Defendant Cisneros, who was acting Warden at SATF. This memo provided instruction to ALL defendants, which ultimately was the moving 18 force behind the violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional rights.

19 Defendant Gipson set out guidelines on when and for what reason the officers can deactivate their BWC. None of which were for an unclothed 20 body search of an inmate. Defendant Gipson [stated] “staff who fail to 21 comply with the activation/deactivation policy will be subject to progressive discipline penalties according to the current disciplinary matrix. Applicable 22 categories of the matrix include base penalties up to and including termination. 23 Defendant Cisneros was responsible for the policies at the local level of 24 SATF prison. When she received the memo from Defendant Gipson, 25 Defendant Cisneros put out the O.P. (operational procedure) 519, which 26 1 For readability, the Court has made minor alterations to some of Plaintiff’s quotations—such as 27 correcting misspellings and altering punctuation—without indicating each change. 2 Plaintiff identifies the Defendant as both “Gibson” and “Gipson” but Exhibit A to the amended 1 mimicked Defendant Gipson’s memo. Defendant Cisneros had the opportunity to change the policy before putting out the O.P. signed by her 2 on July 26, 2021.

3 With the threat of termination that both Defendants Gipson and Cisneros 4 put out to their subordinates, it left Defendant Wilson with no other option than to violate Plaintiff’s Fourth Amendment rights or face possible 5 termination. 6 (Id. at 6-7 (capitalization in original)). 7 Plaintiff receives methadone as a medically-assisted treatment for heroin addiction. (Id. 8 at 7). Plaintiff would go through the D Facility work change to move from one part of the facility to another in order to receive treatment Monday through Friday. (Id.).

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Bluebook (online)
Damon Anderson v. T. Cisneros, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/damon-anderson-v-t-cisneros-et-al-caed-2026.