Di Lella v. University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law

570 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59143
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedAugust 5, 2008
DocketCivil Action No. 07-00747 (HHK)
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 570 F. Supp. 2d 1 (Di Lella v. University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Di Lella v. University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, 570 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59143 (D.D.C. 2008).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

HENRY H. KENNEDY, JR., District Judge.

Proceeding pro se, Nicole Di Leila, a learning-disabled, former student at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, brings this action against the School of Law1, its Academic Standards Committee, Associate Dean Ann Bishop Richardson, Professor Susan L. Waysdorf, and Educational Specialist Ahmad Reed (collectively, “Law School”). Di Leila asserts causes of action arising from the Law School’s treatment of her in connection with its provision of accommodations for her disability and the Law School’s suspension of her after she was charged with cheating and plagiarism. Di Leila maintains that the Law School discriminated and retaliated against her in violation of the District of Columbia Human Rights Act (“DCHRA”), D.C.Code § 2-1402 et seq., the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Rehabilitation Act”), 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq. Di Leila also asserts that the Law School breached its contract with her,2 violated 42 U.S.C. § 1983, and defamed her.3

[4]*4Before the court is the Law School’s motion to dismiss or, in the alternative, for a more definite statement of Di Leila’s claims [## 7, 8].4 Upon consideration of the motion, Di Leila’s opposition thereto, and the record of the case, the court concludes that the motion must be granted in part and denied in part.

I. BACKGROUND

Pertinent to the causes of action Di Leila seeks to prosecute, her complaint avers the following, which the court accepts as true. Di Leila has a learning disability that, among other things, makes it difficult for her to process words into written expression. She enrolled at the Law School in the Fall of 2008 and during orientation met with Associate Dean Ann Bishop Richardson. During this meeting, she informed Dean Richardson of her disability and requested that the Law School provide her the accommodations she would need to successfully matriculate at the Law School. In a follow-up letter to Di Leila, Dean Richardson indicated that the Law School would provide some of the accommodations Di Leila had requested. Dean Richardson’s letter states,

Existence of a Disability: You have provided me with documentation from Dr. James M. Sydnor-Greenberg, Nancy Thomas, and Karen C. Romm that indicates the following diagnoses: Reading Disorder, Disorder of Written Expression, ADHD, Predominantly Inat6entive [sic] Type, and Scotopic Sen[5]*5sitivity and that these conditions may affect your academic performance.
Determination as to Accommodation: Beginning with the fall, 2003, semester, the School of Law will provide the following accommodations:
• You may have double time to complete examinations which will be administered to you in a separate, quiet testing room and extended time on written projects, when necessary and requested.
• We will provide you with a notetaker. The School of Law’s policy and procedures for notetakers is attached.

Pl.’s Ex. 6, Letter from Dean Richardson to Nicole Di Leila (Sep. 15, 2003).

During her first year at the Law School, Di Leila sometimes was not provided a notetaker and, at the beginning of her second year, the Law School decided to provide her with transcriptions of her class lectures instead of a notetaker. Di Leila was required to purchase the equipment needed to record class discussions. She was then expected to submit the tapes to the Law School for transcription.

As it turns out, Di Leila often was not provided with timely transcriptions and sometimes the tapes she made were not transcribed at all. As a result, Di Leila was unable to meaningfully participate in classroom lectures, discussions, academic assignments, Law School clinics, and community opportunities. She could not prepare for class assignments or exams and was unable to take her exams on the same dates as her classmates. Taking exams later than her peers caused Di Leila to have longer academic semesters and precluded her from enrolling in upper-level courses and specialized programs within the Law School.

In the spring of 2005, Di Leila enrolled in Professor Susan Waysdorf s Constitutional Law course. When Di Leila did not receive timely transcriptions of Professor Waysdorfs lectures and, as a result, was unable to prepare suitably to take the midterm examination on schedule, Di Leila complained to Professor Waysdorf. Thereafter, in front of the class taking the Constitutional Law course, Professor Waysdorf admonished Di Leila for not taking the midterm examination at the same time as the other members of the class and disclosed that Di Leila was a student with a learning disability. Di Leila reported this incident to Dean Richardson.

Di Leila did not receive timely transcriptions throughout the remainder of the semester and was unable to take the final examination in May. Di Leila eventually obtained class notes, however, and was given a deadline of September 16, 2005, to submit the take-home portion of the final examination. On September 19, Di Leila sent her final examination answers to Waysdorf by “e-mail.” Professor Waysdorf believed that Di Leila’s answers were copied directly from two internet sites and thereafter made a complaint of plagiarism and cheating to Dean Richardson, who then sent the complaint to the Academic Standards Committee.

The Committee held a hearing on the complaint during which Di Leila provided written submissions and statements explaining that she had mistakenly “emailed” a computer file containing a study aid instead of the computer file that contained the answers to the examination that she had prepared. The Committee did not believe Di Leila’s explanation and determined that she had violated the Law School’s Honor Code. As a result, Di Leila was suspended for one year. In addition, the Committee’s letter summarizing its findings was placed in Di Leila’s permanent file and the Registrar’s office and Dean’s office were directed to share the [6]*6letter with any Bar Examiner or educational institution to which Di Leila might apply.

On April 19, 2006, the Law School’s faculty denied Di Leila’s petition for review of the Committee’s decision. Di Leila filed this suit on April 24, 2007.

II. ANALYSIS

A. Legal Standard for a Motion to Dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6)

To survive a motion to dismiss brought pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), the plaintiff must allege a “plausible entitlement to relief’ by setting forth “any set of facts consistent with the allegations.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, — U.S. -, -,-, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 1967, 1969, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007).

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570 F. Supp. 2d 1, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/di-lella-v-university-of-the-district-of-columbia-david-a-clarke-school-dcd-2008.