Doe v. Skaggs

127 N.E.3d 493, 2018 Ohio 5402
CourtCourt of Appeals of Ohio, Seventh District, Belmont County
DecidedDecember 31, 2018
DocketNo. 18 BE 0005
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 127 N.E.3d 493 (Doe v. Skaggs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Ohio, Seventh District, Belmont County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Doe v. Skaggs, 127 N.E.3d 493, 2018 Ohio 5402 (Ohio Super. Ct. 2018).

Opinion

WAITE, J.

*495{¶1} Appellants John, Jane, and Joy Doe (collectively referred to as "Appellants") appeal a January 19, 2018 Belmont County Common Pleas Court decision which granted summary judgment in favor of Appellees Walter E. Skaggs, Kelly Rine, and St. Clairsville Schools (collectively referred to as "Appellees".) Appellants argue that the trial court erroneously ruled Appellees were entitled to immunity. Appellants contend that Appellees were stripped of immunity pursuant to R.C. 2744.02(B)(2), (5) and R.C. 2744.03(A)(1)(b), (c) and cannot reestablish immunity. For the reasons provided, Appellants' arguments are without merit and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. However, the matter is remanded for purposes of addressing the personal liability of R.D., a nonparty to this appeal.

Factual and Procedural History

{¶2} Joy Doe was a student and softball player at St. Clairsville High School. During the relevant time period, R.D. was the St. Clairsville High School softball coach. Also relevant to this appeal, Skaggs was the superintendent and Rine was the athletic director of St. Clairsville High School.

{¶3} R.D. had been the high school softball coach for ten years. According to testimony from Skaggs, R.D.'s coaching certificate expired either just before the softball season or midway through the season. According to Skaggs, the paperwork, documentation, coaching class, and background check had been completed. However, the certification process had not been completed due to a payment or paperwork issue.

{¶4} While in sixth grade, Doe took private pitching lessons from R.D. (6/16/17 Doe Depo., 30.) When Doe entered high school, she developed a closer relationship with R.D. During Doe's sophomore year, R.D. grabbed Doe around the waist and kissed her. At some point thereafter, the two began to have sexual relations.

{¶5} According to Doe, all sexual activity took place at R.D.'s house. (6/16/17 Doe Depo., p. 77.) According to Doe, she visited R.D.'s house multiple times a week. At one point, Doe's father expressed concern about the number of visits and she told him that R.D. was helping her contact college coaches about a potential softball scholarship. According to Doe, she also spent a significant amount of time in R.D.'s classroom, which was located in the middle school building. Doe testified that there were no outward advances by either R.D. or herself in front of anyone or outside of R.D.'s house. (6/16/17 Doe Depo., p. 69.)

{¶6} During the relevant time frame, R.D. and Doe exchanged over 10,000 text messages. At some point, R.D. texted Doe that she would kill herself if anyone found out about their relationship. Doe and Mrs. Doe testified that R.D. gave Doe several gifts during the relevant time period. These gifts ranged from small gifts to more expensive ones that raised concerns by Mrs. Doe.

{¶7} The sexual encounters continued until May of 2016, Doe's senior year. At that time, a photograph of R.D. and Doe on a bus was shown to the superintendent at another local school. It is unclear who took the photograph and who gave it to the superintendent. The photograph, which is not in the record, apparently depicts R.D.

*496and Doe sitting on the bus with one of their knees near the other's crotch. The superintendent notified Skaggs who called Mrs. Doe to the school for a meeting. Mrs. Doe, Skaggs, and Michael McKeever (the middle school principal) were present at the meeting. Mrs. Doe left the meeting and discussed the allegations with Doe who confirmed them. Mrs. Doe called Skaggs and notified him. Skaggs immediately went to the softball field where R.D. was preparing for a game and fired her. R.D. was charged criminally and eventually pleaded guilty to several counts of gross sexual conduct. She was sentenced to eighteen months of incarceration.

{¶8} On February 22, 2017, Appellants filed a complaint against St. Clairsville Schools ("St. Clairsville") and against Skaggs and Rine as individuals. R.D. was also personally named as a defendant, however, apparently there were issues with service and she did not answer the complaint. As such, she is not involved in this appeal. The original complaint included the following claims: "Negligence of [R.D.], St. Clairsville Schools, and individual defendants and claim of sexual assault and battery," "Negligent Retention/Negligent Supervision by the individual defendants," and "Tort of Outrage/Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress." (2/22/17 Complaint.) In their answer, Appellants claimed sovereign immunity pursuant to R.C. 2744.

{¶9} On November 17, 2017, Appellees filed a motion for summary judgment. On December 4, 2017, Appellants filed a competing motion for summary judgment. On January 4, 2018, Appellants filed an amended complaint with the trial court's permission. The amended complaint asserted the following claim: "Reckless, Willful, Wanton and Intentional Conduct of [R.D.], St. Clairsville Schools, and individual defendants and claim of sexual assault and battery." (1/4/18 Amended Complaint, Count I.) On January 18, 2018, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Appellees. It is from this entry that Appellants appeal.

Summary Judgment

{¶10} An appellate court conducts a de novo review of a trial court's decision to grant summary judgment, using the same standards as the trial court set forth in Civ.R. 56(C). Grafton v. Ohio Edison Co. , 77 Ohio St.3d 102, 105, 671 N.E.2d 241 (1996). Before summary judgment can be granted, the trial court must determine that: (1) no genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated, (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing the evidence most favorably in favor of the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made, the conclusion is adverse to that party. Temple v. Wean United, Inc. , 50 Ohio St.2d 317, 327, 364 N.E.2d 267 (1977). Whether a fact is "material" depends on the substantive law of the claim being litigated. Hoyt, Inc. v. Gordon & Assoc., Inc. , 104 Ohio App.3d 598, 603, 662 N.E.2d 1088 (8th Dist.1995).

{¶11} "[T]he moving party bears the initial responsibility of informing the trial court of the basis for the motion, and identifying those portions of the record which demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of fact on a material element of the nonmoving party's claim." (Emphasis deleted.) Dresher v. Burt ,

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Bluebook (online)
127 N.E.3d 493, 2018 Ohio 5402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/doe-v-skaggs-ohctapp7belmont-2018.